Development of a regional scale atmospheric Hg model based on WRF-Chem: results of preliminary studies

The modelling of atmospheric Hg chemistry, transport and deposition has progressed significantly over the last few years, aided by a number of factors. These include an improved understanding of the processes involved in the atmospheric Hg cycle, advances in computer performance, an ever increasing archive of measurement data with which model results may be compared, and also an increase in the number of models (global, regional and zero-dimensional) currently in use. The increase in the number of models has permitted model intercomparisons to be performed for the first time. The number of global models available to provide initial and boundary conditions for regional models has increased and the possibility of using modelling ensembles to verify emission and deposition fluxes is close to becoming a reality. This abstract describes the development of a mercury chemistry version of the WRF/Chem, which due to the architecture of the model permits a number of chemical mechanisms to be employed within the same model.