Evaluation of ozone and its precursors using the Multi-Scale Infrastructure for Chemistry and Aerosols Version 0 (MUSICAv0) during the Michigan–Ontario Ozone Source Experiment (MOOSE)

Abstract. Surface ozone (O3) in Southeast Michigan (SEMI) often exceeds US National Ambient Air Quality Standards, posing risks to human health and agroecosystems. SEMI, a relatively small region in the state of Michigan, contains most of the state's anthropogenic emission sources and more than half of the state's population and is also prone to long-range and transboundary pollutant transport. Here, we explore the distribution of O3 and its precursors, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds, over SEMI during the summer of 2021 using the chemistry–climate model MUSICAv0 (Multi-Scale Infrastructure for Chemistry and Aerosols Version 0). Using the regional refinement capabilities of MUSICAv0, we create a custom grid over the state of Michigan of 1/16° (∼ 7 km) to better understand the local-scale impacts of chemical and dynamic complexity in SEMI and compare it with a grid with 1/8° (∼ 14 km) resolution over the contiguous United States. Model simulations are evaluated using a comprehensive suite of observations from Phase I of the Michigan–Ontario Ozone Source Experiment (MOOSE) field campaign. MUSICAv0, with its higher horizontal grid resolution, showed excellent skill in capturing peak O3 concentrations but showed larger variation in the simulation of O3 precursors (e.g., NOx, HCHO, isoprene). In addition, we implement a diurnal cycle for anthropogenic nitric oxide (NO) emissions, which is generally not included in global models. As a result, modeled nighttime O3 is improved because of lower NOx concentrations during the night. This work shows that when conceptualizing models in urban regions, it is important to consider a combination of high horizontal resolution and the diurnal cycle of emissions, as they can have important implications for the simulation of secondary air pollutants.