Middle-East Transboundary Pollutant Transport Study: RAMS versus MM5 and CAMx results

The overall aim of this USAID sponsored project is to generate information required by government air quality planning agencies in Israel and West Bank/Gaza to develop strategies for the socially and environmentally sustainable urbanization of their coastal areas. The project re-search team is composed of experts (from Israel, West Bank/Gaza, and U. S.) in meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, pollutant emissions, land use/GIS, (urban and regional) planning, and socio-economic impacts. Specific research objectives include: (1) Installation of environmental monitoring sites and preparation of a comprehensive environmental database and a regional climatology, (2) Intensive field observational campaigns during periods conducive to poor regional air quality, (3) Adaptation and application of the RAMS and MM5 meteorological models and the CAMx photochemical air quality model to increase understanding of air quality problems. Results show spatial and temporal variations in meteorological factors and air quality concentrations. Emission patterns also show temporal and spatial patterns that reflect local land use patterns. Simulated RAMS and MM5 winds reproduce observed transport patterns, while simulated CAMx ozone fields reproduce the transboundary transport patterns observed by aircraft measurements. They show that the peak impacts of coastal emissions on ozone concentrations occur in downwind areas over Jordan.