Page 230 A GRID SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS METHOD FOR THE CALIBRATION OF PROGNOSTIC METEOROLOGICAL MODELS IN AIR POLLUTION MODELING

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study is the evaluation of model sensitivity due to grid size and resolution variation in complex terrain by the design of a screening experiment. Grid calibration, that in many cases involves the removal of complexities and insignificant terms, is the starting point in reducing meteorologically affected factors of uncertainty before any pollution predictions are attempted. The use of a calibrated grid is of paramount importance for repeated procedures by leaving unnecessary information unprocessed and inevitably reducing run times whilst the reliability of air quality modeling is preserved by the prognosis of accurate wind fields. In order to calibrate a model, sensitivity analysis SA must be carried out if uncertainty caused by the input data to a model’s output is high. Generally, uncertainty is high at the edges of a grid and lower in the middle.