Also visit the "Research Highlights" page for more information.

Meteorology -- Emissions -- Photochemistry interaction and feedback (MEPif)
Initially begun as a component of a multi-year NSF-funded study (see Projects Page), Altostratus continues to develop and improve a series of modules and processors (MEPif) that link meteorological, emissions, photochemical, and radiative transfer models during on-line real-time model integration (simulation). The objective is to more explicitly capture and quantify the interaction pathways and two-way feedback effects that exist at the meso- and meso-urban scales. MEPif is designed to provide an alternative, region-specific, fine-resolution modeling framework that uses currently-available aerometric data, models, and regulatory emission inventories and that can be readily used by regulators and researchers with no need to modify their existing modeling frameworks

Fine-resolution, urbanized (meso-urban) meteorological models
This effort aims at developing, updating, and applying fine-resolution meteorological models and the parameterizations they require. One aspect of this effort is to further build upon earlier bulk-parameterization model urbanization schemes as well as to further develop and improve upon urbanized models (such as the EPA urbanized MM5). The latter led to development of Altostratus's own version of the model sometimes referred to as "uMM5", short for urbanized MM5. The same approach is also considered for use in urbanizing the WRF model

Advanced models and modeling techniques for urban heat islands
Altostratus continues to develop and apply advanced modeling techniques to accurately capture heat island signatures under different synoptic/local conditions and geographical settings. The modeling techniques are also designed to clearly capture the effects of proposed mitigation measures (signal) which would otherwise be more difficult to detect with standard models and approaches. Altostratus also modifies state-of-science models, such as the MM5/WRF and CAMx/CMAQ modeling systems, to specifically adapt them for these applications

Fine-resolution real-time meteorological and dispersion modeling
Focusing on the meso-to-urban and urban-to-CFD domains, this effort links atmospheric models of various scales to provide comprehensive yet efficient tools for real-time urban meteorology and dispersion modeling capabilities for various applications. Models are continuously improved and their performance is evaluated using observational tracer and aerometric data

Advanced urban canopy parameterizations for mesoscale meteorological models (MM5 and WRF)
Moving beyond current urban canopy-layer parameterizations (UCP), Altostratus continues to develop and test newer and improved UCP schemes and parameter computations for increased accuracy in research modeling and real-time simulations. This effort also involves developing new approaches for deriving and generating the detailed 3-dimensional input parameters needed in UCP models

Efficient, top-down emission-update models
Development of efficient emissions calculation and correction algorithms for use in updating emission rates in response to meteorological perturbations or activity-level changes. These algorithms are applied in instantaneous emission-rates updates during the actual meteorological-photochemical model integration and feedback iterations. Current focus is on area-source anthropogenic evaporative and biogenic emissions

Fine-resolution lower-boundary (surface) physical and geometrical characterization
Altostratus is currently developing new methods for surface/lower-boundary characterization (specifically tailored for meteorological modeling)  from multiple commercially-available sources such as satellite data, aerial photography, Google Earth PRO, and urban morphological information. This aims at providing fine-resolution (e.g., 1-10 m) 3-dimensional geometrical and physical characterizations for use in fine-resolution meso-urban meteorological modeling

Development and validation of alternative dynamical downscaling method and use in meso-urban climate modeling
The performance of  regional and urban climate models using boundary conditions forced with dynamically-downscaled global (AOGCM) fields depends on the accuracy, biases and errors associated with those fields, i.e., the performance of an AOGCM. This effort aims at evaluating and validating an alternative downscaling method based on relative changes in rather than absolute output fields from a global model and their use in seasonal regional and urban-scale modeling