Between Meso-Scale and Local Scale: Downscaling Weather Forecast and Upscaling Atmospheric Dispersion

Dear Colleagues,

Three-dimensional simulations of dispersion at the local scale as well as at the meso-scale are required for topics as varied as forecasting air quality or evaluating the consequences of accidents involving significant releases into the atmosphere. These calculations are based on meteorological forecasts, also multi-scale, from synoptic weather to flows generated by the very local effects of relief, land use, or buildings of an industrial site or a city. Applications involving physical models adapted to different scales are not new, but they are increasingly common due to the interest they inspire and the increasingly powerful computational resources available. However, beyond the coupling of models (the outputs of some are the inputs of others), multi-scale simulations pose difficulties that are far from being resolved. Thus, for example, from the point of view of flows, there is a question of how to rigorously evaluate the instantaneous local turbulence which results doubly from a distant atmospheric component and from a component of proximity effects. Regarding the sources associated with the different scales, there is a question of how not to take them into account several times. Finally, from the point of view of atmospheric dispersion, there is a question of how to manage simulations in nested domains of different resolutions or transport numerical particles through these domains over very long distances.

In this Special Issue, we propose to bring together research and application articles on multi-scale modeling and simulation. In particular, the articles will focus on:

• Any theoretical consideration allowing a better understanding of the multi-scale physics of flows and dispersion in the atmosphere;
• Any practical consideration allowing us to carry out rigorous and, if possible, efficient simulations of the dispersion from the smallest scale to the largest scale (or vice versa);
• The presentation of multi-scale modeling systems for the dispersion of chronic or accidental releases;
• Taking into account uncertainties and data assimilation when weather forecasts and/or dispersion simulations are carried out at different scales;
• The estimation of source terms when it involves retro-dispersion simulations at multiple scales.

This list is not exhaustive, and this Special Issue of the journal Atmosphere will aim to share the knowledge and experience of researchers and engineers who must work both at the local scale and at the meso-scale to address atmospheric dispersion.

Dr. Patrick Armand
Guest Editor

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• weather forecast
• atmospheric dispersion
• modeling systems
• downscaling and upscaling
• operational applications