3-D Multi-scale air pollution modelling using adaptive unstructured meshes

High resolution models of air pollution transport and transformation are necessary in order to test possible abatement strategies based on pollution control and to forecast high pollution episodes. Models are especially relevant for secondary pollutants like ozone and nitrogen dioxide which are formed in the atmosphere through nonlinear chemical reactions involving primary pollutant species far from their sources. Often we are trying to resolve the interactions between plumes from point sources such as power stations and regional pollution tides of ozone formed in other European countries. One method of tackling this problem of different scales is with different grid sizes, using highly resolved grids in regions where the structure is very fine. This paper describes the use of 3-D adaptive gridding models for pollution transport and reaction using both a layered and a fully adaptive 3-D tetrahedral approach. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.