Forecast modelling and supercomputing

We have developed a technology that can lead to predicting the level of pollutants in different parts of the city well in advance based on which preventive action can be taken to protect Human health. The air quality forecasting is a highly specialized area and requires huge computational power on regular. Complex computer model which handles millions of calculations in seconds provide the required tool focusing on the city areas with high resolution.

To forecast the air quality of various pollutants along with weather parameters, IITM uses four nested domain starting from near global to the local city level. The inner domain has a resolution of 1.67 km x 1.67 km. All these 4 domains runs interactively and feedback of meteorology to chemistry and vice-versa has been accounted. This model requires several key inputs for accurate forecasting. Major among them are- emission inventory of pollutants from various sources, weather parameter, topographical data, land use-land cover data, initial and lateral boundary conditions, etc. The initial and lateral boundary conditions for the outermost domain in meteorological model has been taken either from NCEP reanalysis or from internally generated CFS of NCMRWF, Noida whereas for the chemical forecast model, it has been taken from MACC (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate), a project of European union under MoU between IITM and EU- project partners.