Air Quality Modelling

Regional-scale modelling is used to simulate the dispersion and chemistry of atmospheric pollutants over large areas. Models such as WRF-CHEM and CAMx enable detailed analyses of emission impacts, the evaluation of mitigation measures, and support for environmental policies.

Meteorological modelling enables the analysis of atmospheric processes and supports environmental and forecasting applications. Models such as WRF and CALMET, integrated with proprietary tools, are used to simulate high-resolution meteorological fields to support air quality and land management.

Urban-scale air quality modelling enables the analysis of pollutant concentrations and public exposure, providing essential support for urban sectoral planning and health impact assessments. In this context, TerrAria has developed UTAQ, a high-resolution urban air quality model.

Micro-scale modelling uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to analyse atmospheric dynamics by reconstructing turbulent flows. Models such as OpenFOAM are used to simulate the dispersion of pollutants in confined spaces, such as urban canyons or industrial flares.

Decision Support Systems (DSS) and Digital Twins are advanced tools for environmental planning and air quality management, enabling the analysis and comparison of alternative scenarios. In this context, TerrAria develops solutions such as RIAT+ and VERA to assess different emission scenarios, guide decision-making processes and define effective mitigation policies.

Integrated Environmental and Health Impact Assessment (IEHIA) and Health Damage Assessment (HDA) enable the quantitative estimation of health risks associated with environmental pressures. TerrAria applies recognised methodologies to support authorisation procedures, sector-specific analyses and the identification of mitigation measures.

Odour impact is analysed using a modelling approach that enables the dispersion of odours to be estimated and the odour nuisance at sensitive receptors to be quantified. These analyses, based on models such as CALPUFF, enable scenarios to be developed for technical assessments and regulatory approval processes.

The assessment of the environmental impact associated with industrial and infrastructure sources, as well as the prediction of potential effects on the environment and the population, is made possible by the use of local-scale dispersion models. In the field of atmospheric science, models such as AERMOD, CALPUFF, CALINE and COPERT are used for environmental impact studies to estimate emissions.