Evaluation and intercomparison of ozone simulations by Models-3/CMAQ and CAMx over the Pearl River Delta

Ozone pollution over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) in October 2004 has been simulated using the regional air quality models Models-3/CMAQ and CAMx. The results from both models were evaluated and compared with the observed concentrations from 12 monitoring stations. By integrated process rate analysis, the influences of different physical and chemical processes were quantified, and the causes of the deviations between the two models were investigated. Both CMAQ and CAMx reproduced the magnitudes and variations of ozone at most stations over the PRD. The correlation coefficients (R) between the simulated results and monitoring data were 0.73 for CMAQ and 0.74 for CAMx. The normalized mean bias (NMB) for CMAQ and CAMx over the 12 sites was − 8.5% and 8.8% on average, respectively. The normalized mean error (NME) for CMAQ and CAMx was 36.7% and 37.9%, respectively. The correlation between the results of two models was very high (R = 0.92), and their simulated ozone spatial distributions exhibited common features. But the values obtained using CMAQ simulation were about 17% lower than those obtained using CAMx on average. The results of simulations using the two models were not identical in certain regions, or for different types of monitoring stations. The differences in dry deposition, reaction parameters and vertical transport near the Pearl River Estuary can account for the discrepancies in the results obtained using the two models. In the upwind areas, the discrepancy in the boundary concentration of the finest nest was the main cause of the higher values obtained using CAMx compared with those obtained using CMAQ. There is a need for CAMx to provide more choices of dry deposition algorithms. Improvement of the calculation methods for photolysis rates would also improve the ozone simulation of CMAQ.