Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1038/s41612-026-01471-z
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Hyperlocal urban NO2 hotspot modeling driven by microscopic traffic data
Author Weger, M.; Trabert, T.; Houben, T.; Sohr, A.; Brockfeld, E.; Knoth, O.; Schrödner, R.; Bumberger, J. ORCID logo
Source Titel npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
Year 2026
Department MET
Volume 9
Page From art. 150
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements Supplement 1
Abstract

Road-traffic NO2 hotspots are still often modelled with static emissions and generic temporal profiles, although near-road concentrations respond strongly to rapidly changing traffic conditions. Here, we test whether detector-informed dynamic traffic emissions improve hyperlocal NO2 modelling relative to a conventional static baseline. To this end, we couple an online-calibrated mesoscopic traffic model (SUMO) with the LES-based urban dispersion model CAIRDIO in a nested high-resolution framework for Leipzig, Germany. We compare two otherwise identical experimental setups: a static reference simulation and a coupled simulation in which road-traffic emissions within the SUMO domain are replaced by dynamic emissions derived from simulated traffic states. The framework is designed for city-wide high-resolution application, while the present evaluation focuses on two traffic-oriented hotspot settings across three 1-week periods. Compared against hourly NO2 observations of official air-quality monitoring, the coupled setup performs better overall, with the clearest improvement at the street-canyon hotspot and in the representation of concentration peaks. Dynamic traffic emissions, therefore, provide clear added value for hyperlocal NO2 prediction where hotspot realism and exposure-relevant peaks matter.

Weger, M., Trabert, T., Houben, T., Sohr, A., Brockfeld, E., Knoth, O., Schrödner, R., Bumberger, J. (2026):
Hyperlocal urban NO2 hotspot modeling driven by microscopic traffic data
npj Clim. Atmos. Sci. 9 , art. 150
10.1038/s41612-026-01471-z