The Partnership of Weather and Air Quality Modeling

Modeling for weather forecasting and for air quality originated from diverse fields of science. Academic training for meteorologists focused on the physical sciences, while air quality scientists included courses on atmospheric chemical processes. Fortunately, these fields have become more integrated over time, such that now atmospheric chemistry is an integral component of most atmospheric science programs. My talk will track the evolution of this merger with examples from observations and modeling. The advancement we have obtained by moving beyond Gaussian plume and puff models are illustrated. The linkage of weather and air quality to climate and human-caused climate change, as well as remaining impediments to interdisciplinary research and future opportunities to further blend these sciences will be presented.