ECHMERIT V1.0 – a new global fully coupled mercury-chemistry and transport model

Abstract

Mercury is a global pollutant due to its long lifetime in the atmosphere. Its hemispheric transport patterns and eventual deposition are therefore of major concern. For the purpose of global atmospheric mercury chemistry and transport modelling the ECHMERIT model was developed. ECHMERIT, based on the global circulation model ECHAM5 differs from most global mercury models in that the emissions, chemistry (including general tropospheric chemistry and mercury chemistry), transport and deposition are coupled on-line to the GCM. The chemistry mechanism includes an online calculation of photolysis rate constants using the Fast-J photolysis mechanism, the CBM-Z tropospheric gas-phase mechanism and aqueous-phase chemistry based on the MECCA mechanism. Additionally, a mercury chemistry mechanism that incorporates gas and aqueous phase mercury chemistry is included. A detailed description of the model, including the wet and dry deposition modules, and the implemented emissions is given in this technical report. First model testing and evaluation show a satisfactory model performance for surface ozone and mercury mixing ratios (with a mean bias of 1.46 nmol/mol for ozone and a mean bias of 13.55 fmol/mol for TGM when compared with EMEP station data). Requirements regarding measurement data and emission inventories which could considerably improve model skill are discussed.