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TORG are pleased to announce this week's Wednesday lunchtime seminar: " The 25 Year Search for the Perfect Air Quality Model: Evaluation of Simple and Complex Regional Air Quality Models of Fine Particulate " Speaker: Bernard Fisher, Risk and Forecasting, Environment Agency and Chairman of the Institute for Air Quality Management Location: Cassie 2.32 Time/Date: 21st November 2012, 13:00 - 15:00 About the seminar: This talk will describe the progress made over the last 25 years to develop comprehensive air quality models, that is models of the atmosphere over a continental scale, which includes all known meteorological, chemical and physical processes. The main use of comprehensive models nowadays is to estimate current and future levels of small particulate matter PM2.5, which is of major health concern, and to forecast reductions under future regulation scenarios. The emphasis is on one comprehensive model CMAQ, the Community Multiscale Air Quality model, developed by the USEPA. The second part of the talk will address the evaluation of environmental models. The evaluation of any model, whether for air quality or traffic management, is an essential step to determine how the model's results are applied. Particular attention will be paid to one type of evaluation, known as diagnostic evaluation, and to a comparison of simple and complex regional air quality models. Broader issues are involved when a model is used to draw policy decisions regarding acceptable emissions to the atmosphere. The talk will draw conclusions as to how regional air quality models should be applied for regulatory and policy purposes. About the presenter: Bernard Fisher is an environmental modeller with nearly 40 years research experience of air quality modelling. His career started in the power industry where he worked on acid rain. Between 1994 and 2000 he was Professor of Environmental Modelling at the University of Greenwich working on air quality management. Since joining the Environment Agency in 2000 he has been involved with the evaluation and use of environmental models with emphasis on air quality. He is a visiting professor at the University of Hertfordshire, chairman of the Institute for Air Quality Management and is on the Council of the Institution of Environmental Sciences. Seminar Location: Please join us on Wednesday 21/11/2012 between 13:00-15:00 in Room 2.32, Cassie Building, Claremont Road, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU. The Cassie Building is building number 49 on the Campus Map and is about a 5-10 minute walk from Haymarket metro/bus interchange or Jesmond metro station, both of which are easily accessible from Newcastle Central station or Newcastle International Airport. Car parking in and around the University campus is limited, but Park and Ride options are available from seven metro stations within Newcastle - please see the Nexus website Metro Map for more details. Further information: The TORG seminars are intended to disseminate ongoing research and encourage detailed discussions of a diverse range of transport topics in an informal environment - for further information on a specific seminar, please contact Dr. Dilum Dissanayake ([log in to unmask]). The TORG seminars are part of a wider programme within the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences all of which are free of charge and open for external guests to attend. Please let Miss Emma Simblett know if you wish to attend a TORG seminar to allow names of external guests to be noted. After the seminar, and where suitable content is available, we try to make the presentations available online, subject to our presenters giving their permission for us to do so. We look forward to seeing you. Regards, Dr D Dissanayake Lecturer in Transport Modelling Cassie 2.19 School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences Newcastle University Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU Tel: 01912225718 Fax: 01912226502