How to Improve Air Quality and Visibility with an Air Quality Model
By Prof Jimmy Fung
Department of Mathematics

Date: 15 Jan 2015
Time: 12:30 pm - 2 pm (Lunch included)
Venue: HKUST Business School Central
15/F, Hong Kong Club Building
3A Charter Road, Central, Hong Kong.
Remarks: Limited seats and first-come-first served. Priority is given to new comers. Registration starts one month before the talk.
Enquires: 2358 5019 / science.for.lunch@ust.hk


Details
Visibility is impaired when fine particulate matter (or PM2.5) in the atmosphere scatters and absorbs light, thus creating haze. PM2.5 can foul the air as primary particulates or as secondary particulates formed from photochemical reactions and condensations of gas-phase precursors. Secondary particulates are especially serious in impairing visibility as these smaller pollutants can remain suspended in the atmosphere for longer periods and can be transported longer distances, thereby leading to visibility impairment on a regional scale. PM2.5 is difficult to quantify because its formation, transport and removal from the atmosphere is complex, making it difficult to know which pollutants should be controlled most effectively to improve visibility. But sophisticated air quality models may be the answer to our woes in this regard, helping to select the most effective strategies for reducing emissions, thereby improving air quality and visibility at the same time.

Speaker Profile
Prof Jimmy Fung
Department of Mathematics

Prof Jimmy Fung has a PhD in Mathematics from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University where he did Post-Doctoral research. He is currently Professor in the Division of Environment and Department of Mathematics at HKUST and is also Associate Director of HKUST’s Atmospheric Research Center in Nansha. A specialist in air quality modeling, his major research focus is on understanding the meteorological conditions and air pollution problems in urban and coastal areas like Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) with their high air-pollution episodes. His research group has also studied the impact of urbanization on air pollution in the PRD region. He and his colleagues at the Division of Environment joined hands with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research to host a 5-day training workshop on Weather Research Forecasting Modeling.
Map
Video