1. VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research
AURORA model overview
Koen De Ridder, Felix Deutsch, Karen Van de Vel, Peter Viaene, Jo Vliegen
VITO – Flemish Institute for Technological Research

2. AURORA
“Air Quality Modelling in Urban Regions Using an Optimal Resolution Approach”
prognostic 3-D Eulerian atmospheric model developed at VITO
meteorology generally from ARPS model (in POMI interpolation)
employed in projects funded by EU, ESA, national & regional authorities

3. transport Arakawa C-grid advection ~ Walcek scheme
diffusion ~ Crank-Nicholson
deposition
wet ~ rain water mixing ratio
dry ~ resistance network (ra, rb, rc)

4. chemistry gas phase particulate matter CB-IV
photolysis ~ shortwave radiation
upgrade for isoprenes, terpenes
particulate matter
primary PM10 & PM2.5
gas-to-particle conversion ~ empirical relations

5. BUGS

6. GSE-PROMOTE

7. suggested improvements
employ ‘light’ version of MADRID2/CACM
account for NO2 in photolysis scheme
% vegetation cover from satellite data  rc
exposure assessment
validation with OMI, GOME-2, …

8. more info http://aurora.vito.be/ (under construction)
( model inventory)
( model documentation system)