Interpolation and assimilation methods for European scale air quality assessment and mapping - Part I: Review and recommendations ETC/ACC Technical Paper 2005/7

24 Dec 2005

Iulian Petchesi

Introduction
This paper is the first part of a project that reviews, recommends, develops and tests interpolation methods for air quality applications.

Maps of air quality are important for any spatially derived assessment of air quality effects. This study consists of a literature review on existing interpolation methods and comes to recommendations that are further developed and tested. Many interpolation methods are described in this Part I “Review and recommendation”.

Based on this review and its recommendations, in Part II "Development and testing new methodologies" a number of these methods are tested and mutually compared for their suitability.

Particular emphasis is given to human and ecosystem exposure. As a result air quality maps, even on the European scale, require high resolution to cover the large gradients in population and land use. In the current study emphasis is put on developing interpolation methodologies for ozone and PM10 with the subsequent preparation of high resolution maps that can resolve urban agglomerations.

AIRBASE has proven to be an essential source of information for the analysis carried out. The interpolated fields under study have been limited to ozone and PM10 indicators but the methodologies can be further extended to other compounds and indicators.

The mapping methods explored in this in Part II are intended for use in both the area of public information and policy assessment. There are thus a number of relevant application areas both now and in the future.

Prepared by: Bruce Denby(1), Jan Horálek(2), Sam Erik Walker(1) and Kryštof Eben (2)
(1) Norwegian Institute of Air Research (NILU), Oslo, (2) Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), Praha

Publish date: 2005/12/20

EEA project manager: Jaroslav Fiala

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