Evaluation of modelled versus observed non-methane volatile organic compounds at European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme sites in Europe

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics Vol. 24; no. 13; pp. 7699 - 7729
• Main Authors: Ge, Yao, Solberg, Sverre, Heal, Mathew R, Reimann, Stefan, van Caspel, Willem, Hellack, Bryan, Salameh, Thérèse, Simpson, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 09-07-2024; European Geosciences Union; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Acetylene; Aerosol formation; Agreements; Alkanes; Atmospheric chemistry; Benzene; Boundary conditions; Butane; Carbon; Chemical Sciences; Chemistry; Comparative analysis; Emission analysis; Emission inventories; Emissions; Environmental Sciences; Ethane; Ethene; Ethylene; Evaluation; Evaporation; Geographical distribution; Hydrocarbons; Isomers; Monitoring; Organic chemicals; Organic compounds; Ozone; Pentane; Propane; Pyruvaldehyde; Ratios; Road transportation; Solvents; Speciation; Species; Summer; Temporal variations; Tracers; Transportation industry; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Europe
• ISSN: 1680-7324; 1680-7316; 1680-7324
• DOI: 10.5194/acp-24-7699-2024

Atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs) constitute a wide range of species, acting as precursors to ozone and aerosol formation. Atmospheric chemistry and transport models (CTMs) are crucial to understanding the emissions, distribution, and impacts of VOCs. Given the uncertainties in VOC emissions, lack of evaluation studies, and recent changes in emissions, this work adapts the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Meteorological Synthesizing Centre - West (EMEP MSC-W) CTM to evaluate emission inventories in Europe. Here we undertake the first intensive model-measurement comparison of VOCs in 2 decades. The modelled surface concentrations are evaluated both spatially and temporally, using measurements from the regular EMEP monitoring network in 2018 and 2019, as well as a 2022 campaign. To achieve this, we utilised the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory to derive explicit emission profiles for individual species and employed a tracer method to produce pure concentrations that are directly comparable to observations.