Modelling studies

Numerical models based on kinetic and mechanistic data derived from laboratory studies can be used to aid our understanding of the composition of the atmosphere, and can be used to simulate concentrations of short-lived free radical species such as OH and HO₂. Field measurements of these species therefore provide an ideal test for atmospheric models, and a combination of field measurements and modelling studies can be used to examine our understanding of the atmosphere.

Modelling studies provide valuable insight to atmospheric chemistry on local, regional and global scales, and can be used to inform policy decisions regarding pollution, public health and climate change.

Modelling work within the FAGE group is conducted in collaboration with Dr Mat Evans (School of Earth and Environment), and primarily uses the Dynamically Simple Model of Atmospheric Chemical Complexity (DSMACC) box model in conjunction with the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) to investigate the fast photochemical processes responsible for determining the atmospheric concentrations of species such as OH and HO₂ in environments ranging from cold Arctic regions to tropical forests and remote tropical islands.

The 3-dimensional global chemistry transport model GEOS-CHEM is also used to investigate the impacts of recent laboratory findings on global modelling.

By doing such work we hope to provide a link back to laboratory studies to identify areas in which current recommendations for the kinetics and mechanisms used in atmospheric models may require improvement.