Project description: High resolution environmental modelling and evaluation programme for Croatia (EMEP4HR)

Abstract

The international project Environmental Modelling and Evaluation Programme for Croatia (EMEP4HR) is presented. It is a joint project of Norwegian and Croatian meteorological services, University of Zagreb and Energy Research and Environmental Protection Institute (EKONERG) that started in 2006, and is due to last until 2010. The main purpose of this project is to develop and test an operative framework for environmental control of air pollution problems in Croatia. The project will allow for a stable long-term development of Croatia’s scientific capacity to support the design of environmental protection strategies. Among objectives of EMEP4HR project is an implementation of a new scheme for vertical diffusion calculation. The new approach in calculating vertical diffusion coefficient K(z) is a linear-exponential function with convenient analytic properties. It is a generalized form of O’Brien’s third-order polynomial K(z) that is presently being used in the EMEP model. Initial results of the EMEP4HR show the feasibility of this project. This project will allow Croatian experts to produce their own assessments of air quality at national and at urban level.