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Global urban population is projected to double by 2050. This rapid urbanization is the driver of economic growth but has environmental challenges. To that end, there is an urgent need to understand, simulate, and disseminate information about extreme events, routine city operations, and long-term planning decisions. This paper describes an effort underway in India involving an interdisciplinary community of meteorology, hydrology, air quality, and computer science from national and international institutes. The urban collaboratory is a system of systems for simulating weather, hydrology, air quality, health, energy, transport, and economy and its interactions. Study and prediction of urban events involve multiscale observations and cross-sector models, heterogeneous data management, and enormous computing power. The consortia program (NSM_Urban) is part of "weather ready cities," under the aegis of India's National Supercomputing Mission. The ecosystem "Urban Environment Science to Society" (UES2S) builds on the integrated cyberinfrastructure with a science gateway for community research and end-user service with modeling and interoperable data. The collaboratory has urban computing, stakeholder participation, and a coordinated means to scaffold projects and ideas into operational tools. It discusses the design and the utilization of high-performance computing (HPC) as a science cloud platform for bridging urban environment and data science, participatory stakeholder applications, and decision-making. The system currently integrates models for high-impact urban weather, flooding, air quality, and simulating street- and building-scale wind flow and dispersion. The program with the work underway is ripe for interfacing with regional and international partners, and this paper provides an avenue toward that end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), part of the European Union's Earth observation program Copernicus, entered operations in July 2015. Implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) as a truly European effort with over 23,500 direct data users and well over 200 million end users worldwide as of March 2022, CAMS delivers numerous global and regional information products about air quality, inventory-based emissions and observation-based surface fluxes of greenhouse gases and from biomass burning, solar energy, ozone and UV radiation, and climate forcings. Access to CAMS products is open and free of charge via the Atmosphere Data Store. The CAMS global atmospheric composition analyses, forecasts, and reanalyses build on ECMWF's Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) and exploit over 90 different satellite data streams. The global products are complemented by coherent higher-resolution regional air quality products over Europe derived from multisystem analyses and forecasts. CAMS information products also include policy support such as quantitative impact assessment of short- and long-term pollutant-emission mitigation scenarios, source apportionment information, and annual European air quality assessment reports. Relevant CAMS products are cited and used for instance in IPCC Assessment Reports. Providing dedicated support for users operating smartphone applications, websites, or TV bulletins in Europe and worldwide is also integral to the service. This paper presents key achievements of the CAMS initial phase (2014–21) and outlines some of its new components for the second phase (2021–28), e.g., the new Copernicus anthropogenic CO2 emissions Monitoring and Verification Support capacity that will monitor global anthropogenic emissions of key greenhouse gases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wintertime episodes of high aerosol concentrations occur frequently in urban and agricultural basins and valleys worldwide. These episodes often arise following development of persistent cold-air pools (PCAPs) that limit mixing and modify chemistry. While field campaigns targeting either basin meteorology or wintertime pollution chemistry have been conducted, coupling between interconnected chemical and meteorological processes remains an insufficiently studied research area. Gaps in understanding the coupled chemical–meteorological interactions that drive high-pollution events make identification of the most effective air-basin specific emission control strategies challenging. To address this, a September 2019 workshop occurred with the goal of planning a future research campaign to investigate air quality in western U.S. basins. Approximately 120 people participated, representing 50 institutions and five countries. Workshop participants outlined the rationale and design for a comprehensive wintertime study that would couple atmospheric chemistry and boundary layer and complex-terrain meteorology within western U.S. basins. Participants concluded the study should focus on two regions with contrasting aerosol chemistry: three populated valleys within Utah (Salt Lake, Utah, and Cache Valleys) and the San Joaquin Valley in California. This paper describes the scientific rationale for a campaign that will acquire chemical and meteorological datasets using airborne platforms with extensive range, coupled to surface-based measurements focusing on sampling within the near-surface boundary layer, and transport and mixing processes within this layer, with high vertical resolution at a number of representative sites. No prior wintertime basin-focused campaign has provided the breadth of observations necessary to characterize the meteorological–chemical linkages outlined here, nor to validate complex processes within coupled atmosphere–chemistry models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workshop participants shared their perspectives on the anticipated benefits of TEMPO for air quality and health applications, reviewed in-development versions of proxy data products, and discussed data latency, format, and resolution needs from TEMPO data. Keywords: Satellite observations; Air pollution; Aerosols/particulates; Air quality and health; Ozone; Trace gases EN Satellite observations Air pollution Aerosols/particulates Air quality and health Ozone Trace gases E1735 E1741 7 10/07/21 20210901 NES 210901 2020 NASA TEMPO Early Adopters Workshop B I What: i b Stakeholders and end users with diverse backgrounds in the fundamental and applied research communities gathered to learn and discuss the game-changing capabilities of the TEMPO instrument for enhancing health and air quality applications after launch in 2022. Satellite observations, Air pollution, Aerosols/particulates, Air quality and health, Ozone, Trace gases Last, end users discussed the potential of integrating TEMPO data and patient-generated health data in an app that can track the air quality effects on human health. [Extracted from the article]

To explore the various couplings across space and time and between ecosystems in a consistent manner, atmospheric modeling is moving away from the fractured limited-scale modeling strategy of the past toward a unification of the range of scales inherent in the Earth system. This paper describes the forward-looking Multi-Scale Infrastructure for Chemistry and Aerosols (MUSICA), which is intended to become the next-generation community infrastructure for research involving atmospheric chemistry and aerosols. MUSICA will be developed collaboratively by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and university and government researchers, with the goal of serving the international research and applications communities. The capability of unifying various spatiotemporal scales, coupling to other Earth system components, and process-level modularization will allow advances in both fundamental and applied research in atmospheric composition, air quality, and climate and is also envisioned to become a platform that addresses the needs of policy makers and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of the Lower Atmospheric Boundary Layer Experiment (LABLE), which included two measurement campaigns conducted at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma during 2012 and 2013. LABLE was conducted as a collaborative effort between the University of Oklahoma (OU), the National Severe Storms Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and the ARM program. LABLE can be considered unique in that it was designed as a multiphase, low-cost, multiagency collaboration. Graduate students served as principal investigators and took the lead in designing and conducting experiments aimed at examining boundary layer processes. The main objective of LABLE was to study turbulent phenomena in the lowest 2 km of the atmosphere over heterogeneous terrain using a variety of novel atmospheric profiling techniques. Several instruments from OU and LLNL were deployed to augment the suite of in situ and remote sensing instruments at the ARM site. The complementary nature of the deployed instruments with respect to resolution and height coverage provides a near-complete picture of the dynamic and thermodynamic structure of the atmospheric boundary layer. This paper provides an overview of the experiment including 1) instruments deployed, 2) sampling strategies, 3) parameters observed, and 4) student involvement. To illustrate these components, the presented results focus on one particular aspect of LABLE: namely, the study of the nocturnal boundary layer and the formation and structure of nocturnal low-level jets. During LABLE, low-level jets were frequently observed and they often interacted with mesoscale atmospheric disturbances such as frontal passages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas are responsible for a substantial proportion of anthropogenic carbon emissions around the world. As global populations increasingly reside in cities, the role of urban emissions in determining the future trajectory of carbon emissions is magnified. Consequently, a number of research efforts have been started in the United States and beyond, focusing on observing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and relating its variations to carbon emissions in cities. Because carbon emissions are intimately tied to socioeconomic activity through the combustion of fossil fuels, and many cities are actively adopting emission reduction plans, such urban carbon research efforts give rise to opportunities for stakeholder engagement and guidance on other environmental issues, such as air quality. This paper describes a research effort centered in the Salt Lake City, Utah, metropolitan region, which is the locus for one of the longest-running urban CO2 networks in the world. The Salt Lake City area provides a rich environment for studying anthropogenic emissions and for understanding the relationship between emissions and socioeconomic activity when the CO2 observations are enhanced with a) air quality observations, b) novel mobile observations from platforms on light-rail public transit trains and a news helicopter, c) dense meteorological observations, and d) modeling efforts that include atmospheric simulations and high-resolution emission inventories. Carbon dioxide and other atmospheric observations are presented, along with associated modeling work. Examples in which the work benefited from and contributed to the interests of multiple stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, air quality managers, municipal government, urban planners, industry, and the general public) are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observations of atmospheric conditions and processes in cities are fundamental to understanding the interactions between the urban surface and weather/climate, improving the performance of urban weather, air quality, and climate models, and providing key information for city end users (e.g., decision makers, stakeholders, public). In this paper, Shanghai's Urban Integrated Meteorological Observation Network (SUIMON) and some examples of intended applications are introduced. Its characteristics include being multipurpose (e.g., forecast, research, service), multifunction (e.g., high-impact weather, city climate, special end users), multiscale (e.g., macro/meso, urban, neighborhood, street canyon), multivariable (e.g., thermal, dynamic, chemical, biometeorological, ecological), and multiplatform (e.g., radar, wind profiler, ground based, satellite based, in situ observation/sampling). Underlying SUIMON is a data management system to facilitate exchange of data and information. The overall aim of the network is to improve coordination strategies and instruments, to identify data gaps based on science- and user-driven requirements, and to intelligently combine observations from a variety of platforms by using a data assimilation system that is tuned to produce the best estimate of the current state of the urban atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mineral dust produced by wind erosion of arid and semiarid surfaces is a major component of atmospheric aerosol that affects climate, weather, ecosystems, and socioeconomic sectors such as human health, transportation, solar energy, and air quality. Understanding these effects and ultimately improving the resilience of affected countries requires a reliable, dense, and diverse set of dust observations, fundamental for the development and the provision of skillful dust-forecast-tailored products. The last decade has seen a notable improvement of dust observational capabilities in terms of considered parameters, geographical coverage, and delivery times, as well as of tailored products of interest to both the scientific community and the various end-users. Given this progress, here we review the current state of observational capabilities, including in situ, ground-based, and satellite remote sensing observations in northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe for the provision of dust information considering the needs of various users. We also critically discuss observational gaps and related unresolved questions while providing suggestions for overcoming the current limitations. Our review aims to be a milestone for discussing dust observational gaps at a global level to address the needs of users, from research communities to nonscientific stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current state of the art in three-dimensional chemistry-transport models allows them to be considered as mature and reliable enough to be combined with observations networks for implementing integrated air quality monitoring systems over large territories. A cooperative initiative of tour research and operational organizations in France has led to the creation of an integrated air quality platform providing near-real-time and forecasted information using last model developments. Since summer 2003, this system, Prévisions et Observations de la Qualité de l'Air en France et en Europe (PRBV AIR; available online at www.prevair. org), has been delivering daily air quality observations short-term (0-3 days) forecasts, and real-time analyses of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (PM) at the global and European scales, with a focus over France. It has become a powerful scientific and communication tool to inform the public, sensitive population about the potential occurrence of air pollutant concentrations exceeding regulatory thresholds. The architecture of the operational system is described in this paper. Its setup allows the partners to cope with stringent operational constraints regarding the timely availability of the forecasts and the reliability and the quality of the products delivered. The system relies on a chain of numerical models and methods, and on real-time air quality observations, it uses National Centers for Environmental Predictions (NCEP) and Météo-France weather forecasts. Methods used for producing air pollutant concentration forecasts and analyses are described, as well as the final products, with case examples. A synthesis of the operational system skill results obtained over three consecutive years of operation (2003-06) is given. Lessons learned are presented and issues related to the use of the PREV'AIR system as a complementary tool for air quality management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A real-time photochemical air quality forecast system has been implemented for the Puget Sound region to support public awareness of air quality issues. The Air Indicator Report for Public Access and Community Tracking (AIRPACT) forecast system uses daily numerical weather forecasts from the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University (PSU)–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Mesoscale Model (MM5) to drive the California Meteorological Model (CALMET)/California photochemistry grid model (CALGRID) Eulerian photochemical modeling suite. Hourly forecasts of ozone and other pollutant concentrations, including primary particulate emissions from diesel sources, are produced for urban Seattle and environs within a gridded domain consisting of 62 × 67 grid cells (4 km × 4 km) with 13 vertical layers. Detailed gridded emission inventories are adjusted dynamically for time of day, day of the week, month, and gridded ambient temperatures to generate requisite emissions. The forecast system also uses hourly pollutant observation data, reported daily, to perform automated evaluations of forecast accuracy. Forecasts and verification results are provided on a daily basis via the Web (see ). This paper describes the forecast system and presents preliminary forecast evaluation results from the Pacific Northwest 2001 (PNW2001) field program and from selected months using the routine monitoring network. AIRPACT is unique nationally as the sole numerical modeling system producing daily, year-round, high-resolution regional air quality forecasts with daily verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further long-term investments in high-quality, research-driven, fit-for-purpose observations of atmospheric composition are needed globally to meet urgent societal needs related to weather, climate, air quality, and other environmental issues. Challenges include maintaining current observing systems in the face of eroding budgets for long-term monitoring and filling the geographical gaps for key constituents needed for sound services and policies. The observing systems can be bolstered through science-for-services applications, by embracing interoperable observation systems and standardized metadata, and ensuring that the data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable. There is an urgent need to move from opportunities-driven one-component observations to more systematic, planned multifunctional infrastructure, where the observational data flow is coupled with Earth system models to serve both operational and research purposes. This approach fosters a community where user experience feeds back into the research components and where mature research results are translated into operational applications. This will lead to faster exploration and exploitation of atmospheric composition information and more impactful applications for science and society. We discuss here the urgent need to (i) achieve global coverage, (ii) harmonize infrastructure operations, (iii) establish focused policies, and (iv) strengthen coordination of atmospheric composition infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is estimated to contribute to approximately 7 million premature deaths, of which around 4.5 million deaths are linked to ambient (outdoor) air pollution. The deaths attributed to air pollution rank the highest in the Asian region, and thus, the implementation of the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) released on 22 September 2021 will generate the greatest health benefits in the Asian region. Here we present some key messages and recommendations at national, regional, and global levels to promote the strategies for implementation of the ambitious WHO 2021 AQGs in the Asian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoke from the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California blanketed a large part of the region for 2 weeks, creating poor air quality in the "unhealthy" range for millions of people. The NOAA Global System Laboratory's HRRR-Smoke model was operating experimentally in real time during the Camp Fire. Here, output from the HRRR-Smoke model is compared to surface observations of PM2.5 from AQS and PurpleAir sensors as well as satellite observation data. The HRRR-Smoke model at 3-km resolution successfully simulated the evolution of the plume during the initial phase of the fire (8-10 November 2018). Stereoscopic satellite plume height retrievals were used to compare with model output (for the first time, to the authors' knowledge), showing that HRRR-Smoke is able to represent the complex 3D distribution of the smoke plume over complex terrain. On 15-16 November, HRRR-Smoke was able to capture the intensification of PM2.5 pollution due to a high pressure system and subsidence that trapped smoke close to the surface; however, HRRR-Smoke later underpredicted PM2.5 levels due to likely underestimates of the fire radiative power (FRP) derived from satellite observations. The intensity of the Camp Fire smoke event and the resulting pollution during the stagnation episodes make it an excellent test case for HRRR-Smoke in predicting PM2.5 levels, which were so high from this single fire event that the usual anthropogenic pollution sources became insignificant. The HRRR-Smoke model was implemented operationally at NOAA/NCEP in December 2020, now providing essential support for smoke forecasting as the impact of U.S. wildfires continues to increase in scope and magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research into the application of regional dynamical downscaling for the evaluation of air quality. Meteorologists' ability to answer questions regarding the impact of climate change on air quality and vice versa depends on the ability of climatology models to simulate meteorological conditions. One atmospheric simulation is driven by a global circulation model (GCM) control simulation while a second atmospheric simulation is driven by a global reanalysis. A comparison is made of selected meteorological variables, namely diurnal wind patterns, unvented hours, precipitation, and 500-hPa heights.

The Lake Michigan Ozone Study 2017 (LMOS 2017) was a collaborative multiagency field study targeting ozone chemistry, meteorology, and air quality observations in the southern Lake Michigan area. The primary objective of LMOS 2017 was to provide measurements to improve air quality modeling of the complex meteorological and chemical environment in the region. LMOS 2017 science questions included spatiotemporal assessment of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission sources and their influence on ozone episodes; the role of lake breezes; contribution of new remote sensing tools such as GeoTASO, Pandora, and TEMPO to air quality management; and evaluation of photochemical grid models. The observing strategy included GeoTASO on board the NASA UC-12 aircraft capturing NO2 and formaldehyde columns, an in situ profiling aircraft, two ground-based coastal enhanced monitoring locations, continuous NO2 columns from coastal Pandora instruments, and an instrumented research vessel. Local photochemical ozone production was observed on 2 June, 9–12 June, and 14–16 June, providing insights on the processes relevant to state and federal air quality management. The LMOS 2017 aircraft mapped significant spatial and temporal variation of NO2 emissions as well as polluted layers with rapid ozone formation occurring in a shallow layer near the Lake Michigan surface. Meteorological characteristics of the lake breeze were observed in detail and measurements of ozone, NOx, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, VOC, oxygenated VOC (OVOC), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) composition were conducted. This article summarizes the study design, directs readers to the campaign data repository, and presents a summary of findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of dust can affect climate and human health, yet our understanding of extreme dust events is still limited. A record-breaking trans-Atlantic African dust plume occurred during 14–28 June 2020, greatly degrading air quality over large areas of the Caribbean Basin and the United States. Daily PM2.5 concentrations exceeded 50 µg m−3 in several Gulf States, while the air quality index reached unhealthy levels for sensitive groups in more than 11 states. The magnitude and duration of aerosol optical depth over the tropical North Atlantic Ocean were the greatest ever observed during summer over the past 18 years based on satellite retrievals. This extreme trans-Atlantic dust event is associated with both enhanced dust emissions over western North Africa and atmospheric circulation extremes that favor long-range dust transport. An exceptionally strong African easterly jet and associated wave activities export African dust across the Atlantic toward the Caribbean in the middle to lower troposphere, while a westward extension of the North Atlantic subtropical high and a greatly intensified Caribbean low-level jet further transport the descended, shallower dust plume from the Caribbean Basin into the United States. Over western North Africa, increased dust emissions are associated with strongly enhanced surface winds over dust source regions and reduced vegetation coverage in the western Sahel. While there are large uncertainties associated with assessing future trends in African dust emissions, model-projected atmospheric circulation changes in a warmer future generally favor increased long-range transport of African dust to the Caribbean Basin and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts on climate science which include the 2008 experiment on Stratosphere-Troposphere Analyses of Regional Transport (START08), the experiment on climate science and the use of National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) for Air Quality Index (AQI).

After nearly 35 years of stable activity, the Kilauea volcanic system in Hawaii went through sudden changes in May 2018 with the emergence of 20 volcanic fissures along the Lower Eastern Rift Zone (LERZ), destroying 700 homes in Leilani Estates and forcing more than 2,000 people to evacuate. Elevated volcanic emissions lasted for several months between May and September 2018, leading to low visibility and poor air quality in Hawaii and across the western Pacific. The NASA-funded VolKilau mission was rapidly mounted and conducted between 11 and 18 June 2018 to (i) profile volcanic emissions with SO2 and aerosol measurements, (ii) validate satellite observations, and (iii) increase readiness for the next large volcanic eruption. Through a series of balloon-borne measurements with tethered and free-released launches, we measured SO2 concentration, aerosol concentration, and optical properties 60-80 km downwind from the volcanic fissures using gas sensors, optical particle counters, backscatter sondes, and an aerosol impactor. While most of the measurements made during the Kilauea eruption were ground based, the VolKilau mission represented a unique opportunity to characterize plume properties, constrain emission profiles, study early chemistry involving the conversion of SO2 into sulfuric acid, and understand the influence of water clouds in the removal of SO2. This unprecedented combination of measurements has significantly improved our team's ability to assess the atmospheric and human impacts of a major event such as this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and air pollution have important societal consequences, especially in emerging economies, wherein transitions from polluting technologies to cleaner alternatives coincide with high population vulnerability to environmental threats. India is home to a fifth of the world's population and a gamut of human activities, employing a far ranging spectrum of technologies and fuels, with consequent emissions. Atmospheric fine particles or aerosols in the region predominate in carbonaceous constituents and dust. Multi-institutional studies in the region have earlier focused on natural and anthropogenic climate forcing by aerosols and feedbacks on regional and global climate. Important gaps remain in understanding human activities influencing emissions, emission aerosol properties, and regional atmospheric processes, specifically those related to carbonaceous aerosol impacts on climate and air quality. With an aim to address these gaps, the COALESCE (Carbonaceous Aerosol Emissions, Source Apportionment and Climate Impacts) project was launched on 7 July 2017. The project adopts integration of scientific methods developed by both the climate and air quality research communities. New fundamental knowledge from the project and strong links to India's policy framework would enable climate and clean-air action in the region. The article describes the scientific rationale, objectives, and planned activities under COALESCE to explore engagement with the international climate and air quality research communities and to enable eventual dissemination of research findings, knowledge products, and decision-support tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A calendar of meetings related to environment in 2007 is presented. The 10th International Conference on Atmospheric Sciences and Applications to Air Quality will be in Hong Kong, China from May 14-16. The 27th Annual International Symposium on Forecasting will be held in New York City from June 24-27. The Ninth International Meeting on Light and Color will be in Bozeman, Montana from June 25-29.

Coastal regions have historically represented a significant challenge for air quality investigations because of water–land boundary transition characteristics and a paucity of measurements available over water. Prior studies have identified the formation of high levels of ozone over water bodies, such as the Chesapeake Bay, that can potentially recirculate back over land to significantly impact populated areas. Earth-observing satellites and forecast models face challenges in capturing the coastal transition zone where small-scale meteorological dynamics are complex and large changes in pollutants can occur on very short spatial and temporal scales. An observation strategy is presented to synchronously measure pollutants "over land" and "over water" to provide a more complete picture of chemical gradients across coastal boundaries for both the needs of state and local environmental management and new remote sensing platforms. Intensive vertical profile information from ozone lidar systems and ozonesondes, obtained at two main sites, one over land and the other over water, are complemented by remote sensing and in situ observations of air quality from ground-based, airborne (both personned and unpersonned), and shipborne platforms. These observations, coupled with reliable chemical transport simulations, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC), are expected to lead to a more fully characterized and complete land–water interaction observing system that can be used to assess future geostationary air quality instruments, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), and current low-Earth-orbiting satellites, such as the European Space Agency's Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5-P) with its Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Urban Database and Access Portal Tools (WUDAPT) is an international community-based initiative to acquire and disseminate climate relevant data on the physical geographies of cities for modeling and analysis purposes. The current lacuna of globally consistent information on cities is a major impediment to urban climate science toward informing and developing climate mitigation and adaptation strategies at urban scales. WUDAPT consists of a database and a portal system; its database is structured into a hierarchy representing different levels of detail, and the data are acquired using innovative protocols that utilize crowdsourcing approaches, Geowiki tools, freely accessible data, and building typology archetypes. The base level of information (L0) consists of local climate zone (LCZ) maps of cities; each LCZ category is associated with a range of values for model-relevant surface descriptors (roughness, impervious surface cover, roof area, building heights, etc.). Levels 1 (L1) and 2 (L2) will provide specific intra-urban values for other relevant descriptors at greater precision, such as data morphological forms, material composition data, and energy usage. This article describes the status of the WUDAPT project and demonstrates its potential value using observations and models. As a community-based project, other researchers are encouraged to participate to help create a global urban database of value to urban climate scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pan and Parapan American Games (PA15) are the third largest sporting event in the world and were held in Toronto in the summer of 2015 (10–26 July and 7–15 August). This was used as an opportunity to coordinate and showcase existing innovative research and development activities related to weather, air quality (AQ), and health at Environment and Climate Change Canada. New observational technologies included weather stations based on compact sensors that were augmented with black globe thermometers, two Doppler lidars, two wave buoys, a 3D lightning mapping array, two new AQ stations, and low-cost AQ and ultraviolet sensors. These were supplemented by observations from other agencies, four mobile vehicles, two mobile AQ laboratories, and two supersites with enhanced vertical profiling. High-resolution modeling for weather (250 m and 1 km), AQ (2.5 km), lake circulation (2 km), and wave models (250-m, 1-km, and 2.5-km ensembles) were run. The focus of the science, which guided the design of the observation network, was to characterize and investigate the lake breeze, which affects thunderstorm initiation, air pollutant transport, and heat stress. Experimental forecasts and nowcasts were provided by research support desks. Web portals provided access to the experimental products for other government departments, public health authorities, and PA15 decision-makers. The data have been released through the government of Canada’s Open Data Portal and as a World Meteorological Organization’s Global Atmospheric Watch Urban Research Meteorology and Environment dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific research findings that span large concurrent field campaigns during the summer of 2013 in the southeast United States are synthesized and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Systematic Aircraft Measurements approaches for Characterize Aerosol Air Masses (SAM-CAAM) conditions for analysis of air quality. Topics discussed include consideration of different equipment types for aerosols determination such as the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO); management of an in-situ measurement regarding remote sensing; and association of SAM-CAAM approaches in analysis of climate models.

The Beijing government has made great effort to solve the air pollution problem in recent years. In this paper, the major air pollution control measures and the air quality improvement from 2008 to 2014 in Beijing were represented. With the implementation of a series of unconventional and high-air pollutant reduction measures in Beijing and the surrounding area, good air quality during both the 2008 Olympic Games and the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference was guaranteed. Notably, a new scientific approach was applied to formulate air pollution control policy during the APEC conference. In addition to the established measures, two periods of enhanced and targeted reduction measures were implemented according to the forecast in advance. Finally, suggestions for improving air quality in Beijing were offered on the basis of the monitoring results and analyses during the APEC conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No Abstract available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on several programs carried out under the Clean Air Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lower the circulating concentrations of air pollutants. It states that these programs will help EPA to study global climate change effects on U.S. regional air quality. It informs that air pollutant ozone does emit in atmosphere directly and is formed due to the chemical reaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compound in sunlight.

The article focuses on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS), established in 2001 under the NOAA Educational Partnership Program. Information on comprising institutions, graduation education offered, accomplishments, research programs, summer programs and expeditions conducted is presented among others. The main aim of NCAS is to advance and improve the climate, weather and air quality prediction through integrated measurements, models and data analysis. The center aims to serve as the prototype for enhancing graduate education and research programs at other minority serving institutions in the years to come.

A case study from the Texas Air Quality Study 2000 field campaign illustrates the complex interaction of meteorological and chemical processes that produced a high-pollution event in the Houston area on 30 August 2000. High 1-h ozone concentrations of nearly 200 ppb were measured near the surface, and vertical profile data from an airborne differential-absorption lidar (DIAL) system showed that these high-ozone concentrations penetrated to heights approaching 2 km into the atmospheric boundary layer. This deep layer of pollution was transported over the surrounding countryside at night, where it then mixed out the next day to become part of the rural background levels. These background levels thus increased during the course of the multiday pollution episode. The case study illustrates many processes that numerical forecast models must faithfully represent to produce accurate quantitative predictions of peak pollutant concentrations in coastal locations such as Houston. Such accurate predictions will be required for useful air-quality forecasts for urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Weather Research Program convenes expert working groups on a one-time basis to identify critical research needs in various problem areas. The most recent expert working group was charged to “identify and delineate critical meteorological research issues related to the prediction of air quality.” In this context, “prediction” is denoted as “forecasting” and includes the depiction and communication of the present chemical state of the atmosphere, extrapolation or nowcasting, and numerical prediction and chemical evolution on time scales up to several days. Emphasis is on the meteorological aspects of air quality. The problem of air quality forecasting is different in many ways from the problem of weather forecasting. The latter typically is focused on prediction of severe, adverse weather conditions, while the meteorology of adverse air quality conditions frequently is associated with benign weather. Boundary layer structure and wind direction are perhaps the two most poorly determined meteorological variables for regional air quality prediction. Meteorological observations are critical to effective air quality prediction, yet meteorological observing systems are designed to support prediction of severe weather, not the subtleties of adverse air quality. Three-dimensional meteorological and chemical observations and advanced data assimilation schemes are essential. In the same way, it is important to develop high-resolution and self-consistent databases for air quality modeling; these databases should include land use, vegetation, terrain elevation, and building morphology information, among others. New work in the area of chemically adaptive grids offers significant promise and should be pursued. The quantification and effective communication of forecast uncertainty are still in their early stages and are very important for decision makers; this also includes the visualization of air quality and meteorological observations and forecasts. Research is also needed to develop effective metrics for the evaluation and verification of air quality forecasts so that users can understand the strengths and weaknesses of various modeling schemes. Last, but not of least importance, is the need to consider the societal impacts of air quality forecasts and the needs that they impose on researchers to develop effective and useful products. *This is an abridged version of the final report of PDT-11. The complete version can be found at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Pan and Parapan American Games (PA15) are the third largest sporting event in the world and were held in Toronto in the summer of 2015 (10-26 July and [...]