Preliminary comparison of ozone concentrations provided by the emission inventory / WRF - Chem model and the air quality monitoring network from the

The first emission inventory from the Distrito Metropolitano de Quito (DMQ) (Ecuador) and WRF-Chem were used to obtain O3 concentrations during the period 11th – 28th Sep/2006. A preliminary comparison with records of the automatic air quality monitoring network shows that during daytime hours, O3 concentrations are well captured by the model. During nighttime the model provides higher concentrations in both urban and suburban areas. It seems that background concentrations in the DMQ are lower than background values reported in the literature. The complex topography of the region, its allocation (next to the Equator), altitude (around 2800 masl) and the uncertainty of the emission inventory; are factors that could affect the performance of the model during nighttime. Results actually provided by the model are useful to track the behavior of O3 during daytime, when it is important to follow its increase owing to photochemical reactions. Average concentrations for the simulation period show correlation with altitude. Although model averages are higher than concentrations of the passive monitoring network, this tendency was ratified. Modeling helps to understand the link between emission sources and air quality in the DMQ. WRF-Chem needs to be tuned for the DMQ’s conditions to capture well O3 concentrations during the whole day.