AMBIENT BACKGROUND MODEL (ABM) - DEVELOPMENT OF AN URBAN GAUSSIAN DISPERSION MODEL AND ITS APPLICATION TO LONDON

A Gaussian dispersion model called ABM (Ambient Background Model) has been developed for application within an urban air quality management model for the urban area of London. Hourly meteorological data for the whole year are combined with a detailed gridded emission inventory, c overing traffic and non-traffic point and area source emissions, to pr edict annual average air quality at a central urban background monitor ing site. The components NOx, PM10, C6H6, NMVOC and CO are calculated within a modelling domain of 100 km by 100 km around the city. The imp act of sources outside the modelling domain is estimated based on resu lts from the EMEP European long-range model. The results of the modell ing exercise are compared to measured ambient data at the central urba n background site London Bloomsbury for 1993. The comparisons show tha t the ABM model gives good predictions of annual average concentration s, and is capable of modelling hourly fluctuations in air quality with acceptable results. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.