Articles | Volume 18, issue 13
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-4231-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-4231-2025
Methods for assessment of models
 | 
15 Jul 2025
Methods for assessment of models |  | 15 Jul 2025

A new set of indicators for model evaluation complementing FAIRMODE's modelling quality objective (MQO)

Alexander de Meij, Cornelis Cuvelier, Philippe Thunis, and Enrico Pisoni

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Cited articles

Ambient Air Quality Directive: Directive (EU) 2024/2881 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (recast), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/2881/oj (last access: 11 July 2025), 2024. 
Boylan, J. W. and Russell, A. G.: PM and light extinction model performance metrics, goals, and criteria for three-dimensional air quality models, Atmos. Environ., 40, 4946–4959, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.09.087, 2006. 
Clappier, A., Thunis, P., Beekmann, M., Putaud, J. P., and De Meij, A.: Impact of SOx, NOx and NH3 emission reductions on PM2.5 concentrations across Europe: Hints for future measure development, Environ. Int., 156, 106699, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106699, 2021. 
CAMS – Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service: Regional Production, Updated documentation covering all Regional operational systems and the ENSEMBLE, Following U3 upgrade, November 2020, https://confluence.ecmwf.int/display/CKB/CAMS+Regional:+European+air+quality+reanalyses+data+documentation (last access: 10 July 2025), 2020. 
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Short summary
We assess relevance and utility indicators by evaluating nine Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service models in calculated air pollutant values. For NO2, the results highlight difficulties at traffic stations. For PM2.5 and PM10 the bias and winter–summer gradients reveal issues. O3 evaluation shows that seasonal gradients are useful. Overall, the indicators reveal model limitations, yet there is a need to reconsider the strictness of some indicators for certain pollutants.
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