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    Original Research Papers

    A comparison of large-scale atmospheric sulphate aerosol models (COSAM): overview and highlights

    Authors:

    L. A. Barrie ,

    Fundamental Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
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    Y. Yi,

    East Giant Science and Technology Inc, CA
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    W. R. Leaitch,

    Climate and Atmospheric Science Directorate of Environment Canada, CA
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    U. Lohmann,

    Atmospheric Science Program, Physics Department, Dalhousie University, CA
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    P. Kasibhatla,

    Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, US
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    G.-J. Roelofs,

    (IMAU) Utrecht University, NL
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    J. Wilson,

    European Commission Environment Institute, IT
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    F. Mcgovern,

    Department Experimental Physics, University College, IE
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    C. Benkovitz,

    Environmental Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, US
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    M. A. Méliéres,

    Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l’Environnement, FR
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    K. Law,

    Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Chemistry, GB
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    J. Prospero,

    University of Miami, US
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    M. Kritz,

    Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, US
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    D. Bergmann,

    Atmospheric Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, US
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    C. Bridgeman,

    Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Chemistry, GB
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    M. Chin,

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, US
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    J. Christensen,

    National Environmental Research Institute, DK
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    R. Easter,

    Fundamental Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, US
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    J. Feichter,

    Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, DE
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    C. Land,

    Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, DE
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    A. Jeuken,

    Royal NetherlandsMeteorological Institute (KNMI), NL
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    E. Kjellström,

    Department of Meteorology, Stockholm University, SE
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    D. Koch,

    Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Department of Geology and Geophysics, US
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    P. Rasch

    National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), US
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    Abstract

    The comparison of large-scale sulphate aerosol models study (COSAM) compared the performance of atmospheric models with each other and observations. It involved: (i) design of a standard model experiment for the world wide web, (ii) 10 model simulations of the cycles of sulphur and 222Rn/210Pb conforming to the experimental design, (iii) assemblage of the best available observations of atmospheric SO= 4, SO2 and MSA and (iv) a workshop in Halifax, Canada to analyze model performance and future model development needs. The analysis presented in this paper and two companion papers by Roelofs, and Lohmann and co-workers examines the variance between models and observations, discusses the sources of that variance and suggests ways to improve models. Variations between models in the export of SOx from Europe or North America are not sufficient to explain an order of magnitude variation in spatial distributions of SOx downwind in the northern hemisphere. On average, models predicted surface level seasonal mean SO= 4 aerosol mixing ratios better (most within 20%) than SO2 mixing ratios (over-prediction by factors of 2 or more). Results suggest that vertical mixing from the planetary boundary layer into the free troposphere in source regions is a major source of uncertainty in predicting the global distribution of SO= 4 aerosols in climate models today. For improvement, it is essential that globally coordinated research efforts continue to address emissions of all atmospheric species that affect the distribution and optical properties of ambient aerosols in models and that a global network of observations be established that will ultimately produce a world aerosol chemistry climatology.

    How to Cite: Barrie, L.A., Yi, Y., Leaitch, W.R., Lohmann, U., Kasibhatla, P., Roelofs, G.-J., Wilson, J., Mcgovern, F., Benkovitz, C., Méliéres, M.A., Law, K., Prospero, J., Kritz, M., Bergmann, D., Bridgeman, C., Chin, M., Christensen, J., Easter, R., Feichter, J., Land, C., Jeuken, A., Kjellström, E., Koch, D. and Rasch, P., 2001. A comparison of large-scale atmospheric sulphate aerosol models (COSAM): overview and highlights. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 53(5), pp.615–645. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v53i5.16642
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      Published on 01 Jan 2001
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 2 Apr 2001            Submitted on 23 Feb 2000

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