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Consequences of Climate Change for U.S. Air Quality Climate Impact on Regional Air Quality (CIRAQ)

Research Programs

Air Quality Forecasting

Air Toxics Modeling

Climate Impact on Air Quality

Fine-Scale Modeling

Model Development

Model Evaluation

Model Applications

Multimedia Modeling

NOx Accountability

This multi-agency collaborative project will produce a scenario-based assessment of the potential consequences of global change for regional U.S. air quality. On-going research highlights potential changes in fine particle and ozone concentrations. The climate, emissions, and underlying socioeconomic scenarios are intended to provide a plausible depiction of future conditions, rather than predictions of what actually will happen. Research and assessment activities focus on developing regional-scale inputs for air quality simulations using the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system. The impacts of potential increases in transported pollutants due to further global industrialization, population growth, and increase in economic activity are also being assessed. The continuing research builds towards a 2007 assessment of changes in U.S. air quality due to climate change, which includes direct meteorological impacts on atmospheric chemistry and transport, and the effect of changes in temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation on air pollution emissions. Further research will result in a 2010 assessment that adds the emission impacts from technology, land use, and demographic changes to construct plausible scenarios of U.S. air Quality 50 years into the future.

Climate Impact
Regional Climate Scenarios
Climate Variability & Change

Emission Scenarious
Phase I (climate response only)

Air Quality Scenarios
Regional Scale Air Quality Modeling Scenarios

Current roles and responsibilities of participants and collaborators are illustrated below.

CIRAQ ASMD project manager and responsibilities are:

In addition to interagency collaboration, there is extensive collaboration with academia through the EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. STAR grant awards for Global Climate Change and Air Quality may be found at http://es.epa.gov/ncer/grants/, then search on "Global Climate". More detailed description of ASMD collaborations addressing specific research tasks under CIRAQ are provided at the sidebar links.

Related Links of Interest:

Atmospheric Modeling

Research & Development | National Exposure Research Laboratory

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