• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1465-1481
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• 2011

The accuracy of ozone sensitivity coefficients estimated with HDDM (High-order Decoupled Direct Method) can vary depending on the $NO_x$ (Nitrogen Oxides) and VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) conditions. In order to evaluate the applicability of HDDM over the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) during a high ozone episode in 2007 June, we compare BFM (Brute Force Method) and HDDM in terms of the $1^{st}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient to explain ozone change in response to changes in NOx and VOC emissions, and the $2^{nd}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient to represent nonlinear response of ozone to the emission changes. BFM and HDDM estimate comparable ozone sensitivity coefficients, exhibiting similar spatial and temporal variations over the SMAduring the episode. NME (Normalized Mean Error) between BFM and HDDM for the episode average $1^{st}$- and $2^{nd}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficients to NOx and VOC emissions are less than 3% and 9%, respectively. For the daily comparison, NME for the $1^{st}$- and $2^{nd}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficients are less than 4% ($R^2$ > 0.96) and 15% ($R^2$ > 0.90), respectively. Under the emission conditions used in this study, two methods show negative episode average $1^{st}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient to $NO_x$ emissions over the core SMA. The $2^{nd}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient to $NO_x$ emissions leads ozone to respond muchnonlinear to the reduction in $NO_x$ emissions over Seoul. Nonlinear ozone response to reduction in VOC emissions is mitigated due to the $2^{nd}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient which is much smaller than the $1^{st}$-order ozone sensitivity coefficient to the emissions in the magnitude.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.772-790
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• 2011

In this paper, we use the HDDM (High-order Decoupled Direct Method)-driven ozone sensitivity to predict change in ozone concentrations in response to domain-wide $NO_x$(Oxides of Nitrogen) and VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emission controls over the Seoul Metropolitan Area during June 11~19, 2007. In order to validate the applicability of HDDM to $NO_x$ and VOC control scenarios, the HDDM results are compared to Brute Force Method (BFM). For VOC controls, NME (Normalized Mean Error) between BFM and HDDM remains less than 2% until the domain-wide VOC emissions are reduced by 80%. The NME for a 40% reduction in the domain-wide $NO_x$ emissions is less than 5% but increases abruptly after further reductions in the $NO_x$ emissions (i.e., 80% reduction). The results indicates that it may be inaccurate to use ozone sensitivity coefficients estimated at a given base emission condition in predicting ozone after $NO_x$ reductions larger than ~50% of the domain total in the SMA. Therefore, HDDM application on piecewise emissions is desirable to predict ozone response to emission controls with accuracy (i.e., truck emissions rather than the domain total). For computational efficiency, HDDM shows approximately 30% faster than the BFM sensitivity approach.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.708-726
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• 2018

In this study, we examined the contribution of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted from China and Japan to ozone concentrations over Gwangyang-bay, South Korea. We used a chemical transport model, Community Multi-scale Air Quality model, and its instrumented sensitivity tool, High-order Decoupled Direct Method. Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment-Phase B 2006 for East Asia and Clean Air Policy Support System 2007 emissions inventories for South Korea were used for the ozone simulation. During the study period, May 2007, the modeled maximum daily 8-hr average ozone concentration among seven air quality monitors in Gwangyang-bay was 68.8 ppb. The contribution of $NO_x$ emissions from China was 19.5 ppb (28%). The highest modeled ozone concentrations and Chinese contributions appeared when air parcels were originated from Shanghai area. The observed 8-hr average ozone concentrations in Gwangyang Bay exceeded the national ambient air quality standard (60 ppb) 203 times by daytime and 56 times by nighttime during the period. It was noticed that many exeedances happened when contribution of Chinese emissions to ozone concentrations over the area increased. Sensitivity analysis shows that a reduction in Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions by 15% could lessen the total exceedance hours by 24%. This result indicates that high ozone concentrations over Gwangyang-bay are strongly enhanced by Chinese emissions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.751-771
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• 2011

Biogenic Volatile Organic Compound (BVOC) emissions are estimated with BEIS3.12 (Biogenic Emissions Inventory System version 3.12) over the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) and then used in CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) simulations for two high ozone episodes in 2004 and 2007 June. The first- and second-order sensitivity coefficients of ozone to BVOC emissions are estimated with High-order Decoupled Direct Method (HDDM) simulation in order to estimate the influence of BVOC emissions on ozone using the Zero-Out Contribution (ZOC) approach. ZOC analysis shows that relative contribution of BVOC emissions on daily maximum 1-hr ozone is as high as 30% for high ozone days above 100 ppb. However simulated isoprene concentrations were over-estimated by a factor of 2 when compared to the observations at the PAMS (Photochemical Air Monitoring Station) for the 2007 episode. When assumed that actual BVOC emissions are 50% less than estimated, the ZOC of BVOC emissions on daily maximum ozone drops by more than 10 ppb for the episode. The result indicates that uncertainty in BVOC emissions may have significant impact on high ozone prediction in the SMA.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.504-522
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• 2011

Simulations of CMAQ with the High-order Decoupled Direct Method (HDDM) for a 2010 June episode are applied to estimate the influence of local and neighborhood emissions on ozone concentrations in the Kwang-Yang Bay (KYB) area. In order to examine ozone response to reductions in $NO_x$ and VOC emissions from KYB and Gyeongsang, ozone isopleths are generated with the first and second-order sensitivity coefficients from HDDM simulations at three sites; Taein, Samil, and Gwangmoo. Simulations show that reduction in KYB $NO_x$ may increase ozone over the sites. On the contrary, $NO_x$ reduction from Gyeongsang may decrease ozone at the sites when transport of ozone and its precursors from upwind Gyeongsang is potentially high. However, VOC reductions from KYB and Gyeongsang are favorable to lower ozone over KYB. The study implies that emission reductions for both local and neighboring areas are likely more effective to bring KYB to ozone attainment.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.580-602
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• 2011

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in the 2007 CAPSS (Clean Air Protection Supporting System) emissions inventory are chemically speciated for the SAPRC99 (Statewide Air Pollution Research Center 99) mechanism, following the Source Classification Code (SCC) matching method to borrow the U.S.EPA's chemical speciation profiles. CMAQ simulations with High-order Direct Decoupled Method (HDDM) are in turn applied to evaluate uncertainty in the method by comparing the simulated model VOC species to the observations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) for a 2007 June episode. Simulations under-predicted ALK1 to ALK4 in SAPRC99 by a factor of 2 to 5 and over-predicted ALK5 by a factor of 7.5 while ARO1, ARO2, OLE1, and ethylene (ETH) are comparable to the observations, showing relative difference by 10 to 30%. OLE2 emissions are roughly 4 times overestimated. Emission rates for individual VOC model species are revised referring to the ratio of simulated to observed concentrations. Impact of the VOC emission changes on the overall ozone prediction was insignificant for the days of which 1-hr maximum ozone are lower than 100 ppb. However, simulations showed ozone difference by 5 to 10 ppb when high ozone above 120 ppb was observed in the vicinity of Seoul. This result suggests that evaluations on individual model VOC emissions be necessary to lead ozone control plans to the right direction. Moreover, the simulated ratios of ARO1 and ARO2 to $NO_x$ are roughly 50% lower than the observed ones, which imply that adjustment in $NO_x$ and VOC emission rates may be required to mimic the real VOC/$NO_x$ condition over the area.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.82-99
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• 2016

This study was carried out to understand the regional contribution of Particulate Matter (PM) emissions from East Asia ($82^{\circ}{\sim}149^{\circ}E$, $18^{\circ}{\sim}53^{\circ}N$) to Seoul during high concentration period in February 2014. The Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) version 5.0.2 with Decoupled Direct Method (DDM) was used to analyze levels of contributions over Seoul. In order to validate model performance of the CMAQ, predicted PM and its chemical species concentrations were compared to observations in China and Seoul. Model predictions could depict the daily and hourly variations of observed PM. The calculated PM concentrations, however, had a tendency of underestimation. The discrepancies are due to uncertainties of meteorological data, emission inventories and CMAQ model itself. The high PM concentration in Seoul was induced by stationary anticyclone over the West Coast of Korea during 24 to 27 February. The DDM in CMAQ was used to analyze the contributions of emissions from East Asia on Seoul during this PM episode. $PM_{10}$ concentration in Seoul is contributed by 39.77%~53.19% from China industrial and urban region, 15.37%~37.10% from South Korea, and 9.03%~18.05% North Korea. These indicate that $PM_{10}$ concentrations in Seoul during the episode period are dominated by long-range transport from China region as well as domestic sources. It was also found that the largest contribution region in China were Shandong peninsula during the PM event period.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.480-496
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• 2017

CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality)-HDDM (High-order Direct Decoupled Method) simulations with MICS-Asia 2010 and INTEX-B 2006 emissions inventories were performed to investigate the impact of Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions on 1-hr ozone concentrations over South Korea during May to July in 2014. Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions in MICS-Asia 2010 were 60% higher and 100% lower than those in INTEX-B 2006 during the simulation period. It makes the ratio of Chinese VOC to $NO_x$ emissions in INTEX-B 2006 (Case 1) is 3.2 times higher than that in MICS-Asia 2010 (Case 2). When the observed period mean 1-hr ozone concentration averaged across 106 air monitoring sites in the SMA (Seoul Metropolitan Area) was 37.6 ppb, the modeled values were similar to each other; 37.3 ppb for Case 1, and 40.4 ppb for Case 2. Both cases show that daily maximum 1-hr ZOC (Zero-Out Contribution) of Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions were as high as 55 ppb and 35 ppb for the episode respectively. Correlation coefficients between ZOC of Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions and the SMA daily maximum 1-hr ozone were 0.49~0.69. It indicates that Chinese emissions occasionally affect the SMA daily ozone peaks. On the other hand, Case 2 predicted 7 ppb and 1 ppb higher ZOC of Chinese $NO_x$ and VOC emissions than Case 1, when simulated ozone in the SMA is over 80 ppb. It implies that upwind $NO_x$ emissions would be more important than upwind VOC emissions for the long-range transport of ozone in Northeast Asia.