The Multi-scale Atmospheric Transport and Chemistry (MATCH) model is a three-dimensional, Eulerian model developed at SMHI.
It is used in a range of applications from urban scale studies on ca. 5km, or higher, resolution (e.g., Gidhagen et al., 2005) to regional/continental scale studies on acidifying/eutrophying deposition and photochemistry (e.g. Langner et al., 2005; Siniarovina and Engardt, 2005; Andersson et al., 2007).
MATCH is used for Air Quality assessment in Sweden and the Baltic Sea region using a set-up combining the MATCH model calculations and monitoring data from Sweden and the neighbouring countries (e.g. Persson and Kahnert, 2006). The model is also used operationally to provide forecasts of radioactivity in case of nuclear emergencies in Europe (Langner et al., 1998).
Model description
MATCH includes modules describing emissions, advection, turbulent mixing and dry and wet deposition. Depending on the application specific modules describing, e.g., chemistry or aerosol dynamics can be added to the basic transport model. Atmospheric weather data are taken from a three-dimensional numerical weather prediction (NWP) model.
The MATCH design is flexible with regard to the horizontal and vertical resolution, and allows for an arbitrary number of chemical compounds. The advection scheme is Bott-type, using fourth-order scheme in the horizontal and a second-order scheme in the vertical. A complete description of the transport model can be found in Robertson et al. (1999).
Model evaluation
The MATCH-Europe photochemistry model has been thoroughly evaluated for "historical" weather data for O3 (see, e.g., van Loon et al. (2007 and 2004)) and, somewhat less extensively, for secondary inorganic aerosol components (see, e.g., Hass et al. (2003) and van Loon et al. (2004)).
References
Andersson, C., Langner, J. and Bergström, R., 2007: Interannual variation and trends in air pollution over Europe due to climate variability during 1958-2001 simulated with a regional CTM coupled to the ERA40 reanalysis. Tellus 59B, 77-98. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0889.2006.00196.x
Gidhagen, L., Johansson, C., Langner J. and Foltescu, V.L., 2005: Urban scale modeling of particle number concentration in Stockholm. Atmos. Environ. 39, 1711–1725.
Hass, H., van Loon, M., Kessler, C., Stern, R. Matthijsen, J., Sauter, F., Zlatev, Z., Langner, J., Foltescu, V. and Schaap, M., 2003: Aerosol modelling: Results and intercomparison from European regional-scale modelling systems. A contribution to the EUROTRAC-2 subproject GLOREAM. International Scientific Secretariat (ISS), GSF – National Research Center for Environment and Health, Munich, Germany.
Langner, J., Robertson, L., Persson, C. and Ullerstig, A., 1998: Validation of the operational emergency response model at the Swedish meteorological and hydrological institute using data from ETEX and the Chernobyl accident. Atmos. Environ. 32, 4325-4333.
Langner, J., Bergström, R. and Foltescu, V., 2005: Impact of climate change on surface ozone and deposition of sulphur and nitrogen in Europe. Atmos. Environ. 39, 1129-1141.
Persson, C. and Kahnert, M., 2006: Återanalys av föroreningsdepositionen till Sverige 2002-2004. SMHI Rapport 2006 Nr. 8, 8 pp. (In Swedish).
Robertson, L., Langner, J. and Engardt, M., 1999: An Eulerian limited-area atmospheric transport model. J. Appl. Meteor. 38, 190-210.
Siniarovina, U. and Engardt, M., 2005: High resolution model simulations of anthropogenic sulphate and sulphur dioxide in Southeast Asia. Atmos. Environ. 39, 2021-2034.
van Loon, M., Roemer, M.G.M., Builtjes, P.J.H, Bessagnet, B., Rouil, L., Christensen, J., Brandt, J., Fagerli, H., Tarrason, L., Rodgers, I., Teasdale, I., Stern, R., Bergström, R., Langner, J. and Foltescu, V., 2004: MODEL INTER-COMPARISON In the framework of the review of the Unified EMEP model. TNO-report R2004/282, 53.
van Loon, M., Vautard, R., Schaap, M., Bergström, R., Bessagnet, B., Brandt, J., Builtjes, P.J.H., Christensen, J., Cuvelier, K., Jonson, J.E., Krol, M., Langner, J., Roberts, P., Rouil, L., Stern, R., Tarrasón, L., Thunis, P., Vignati, E., White, L. and Wind, P., 2007: Evaluation of long-term ozone simulations from seven regional air quality models and their ensemble. Atmos. Environ. 41, 2083-2097.
Further reading
Publications related to MATCH can be found via the link on the right hand side under the heading Publications.