In 1969, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established the C- mittee on Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS). The subject of air pollution was from the start one of the priority problems under study within the framework of various pilot studies undertaken by this committee. The organization of a periodic conference dealing with air pollution modelling and its application has become one of the main activities within the pilot study relating to air pollution. The first five international conferences were organized by the United States as the pilot country, the second five by the Federal Republic of Germany, the third five by Belgium, the fourth four by The Netherlands, the next five by Denmark and the last five by Portugal. This volume contains the abstracts of papers and posters presented at the 29th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application, held in Aveiro, Portugal, during September 24–28, 2007. This ITM was organized by the University of Aveiro, Portugal (Pilot Country and Host Organization). The key topics distinguished at this ITM included: Local and urban scale modelling; Regional and intercontinental modelling; Data assimilation and air quality forecasting; Model assessment and verification; Aerosols in the atmosphere; Interactions between climate change and air quality; Air quality and human health.

Recent developments in air pollution modeling and its application are explored here in contributions by researchers at the forefront of their field. The book is focused on local, urban, regional and intercontinental modeling; data assimilation and air quality forecasting; model assessment and evaluation; aerosol transformation; the relationship between air quality and human health and the interaction between climate change and air quality. The work will provide useful reference material for students and professors interested in air pollution modeling at the graduate level as well as researchers and professionals involved in developing and utilizing air pollution models.

Air pollution remains a major environmental issue despite many years of study and much legislative control. In rec~nt times, pollution on a global scale has become of particular concern. The gradually changing con centration of trace gases in the global troposphere due to man's activity is becomming a matter of serious concern. No scientist would dare to pre dict in detail the consequences of this gradual change due to its immense complexity involving social and economic factors and near countless chemical and phjsical cycles in our biosphere. In this chain of processes, the transport of pollution is an important factor, but only a factor. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that the mOdelling of atmospheric transport is becoming more and more an activity which fits into larger frameworks and can no longer be exercised as a single step, which bridges the gap between emissions and policy measures. This is also reflected in the topics and papers which were presented at this conference. The topics were: - emission invetories for and source treatment in air pollution dispersion models; - modelling of accidental releases; - regional and global scale dispersion mOdelling; including boundary layer-free troposphere exchange processes and subgrid scale parameter isations; - model verification and policy implications; - new developments in dispersion modelling and theory. 56 papers were presented in these sections. While many posters were dis cussed in a special session.

In 1969 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established the Committee on Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS). The subject of air pollution was from the start one of the priority problems under study within the framework of various pilot studies undertaken by this Committee. The organization of a yearly conference dealing with air pollution modeling and its application has become one of the main activities within the pilot study relating to air pollution. The international conference was organized for the first five years by the United States and for the second five years by the Federal Republic of Germany. Belgium, represented by the Prime Minister's Office for Science policy, became responsible in 1980 for organizing the third five years of the annual conference. This volume contains the papers presented at the 15th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting (ITM) on Air Pollution Modeling and Its Application, held in St. Louis, Missouri, from the 15th to 19th April 1985. This ITM was jointly organized by the Prime Minister's Office for Science Policy, Belgium (Pilot Country); by the Environmental Protection Agency, Atmospheric Sciences Research Laboratory, United States (Host Country); and by Washington University, Mechanical Engineering Department (Host Organization).

This volume is the latest in a series of proceedings dating back to 1971. The book addresses the problem of air pollution and reports the latest findings and developments in air pollution modeling, from a truly international list of contributors.

This volume covers the latest scientific developments in the real world applications of pollution modeling. Topics covered include: the role of atmospheric models in air pollution policy and abatement strategies; integrated regional modelling; global and long-range transport; aerosols as atmospheric contaminants; model assessment and verification; and application of new concepts in different regions of the world.

In 1969 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization established the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society. Air Pollution was from the start one of the priority problems under study within the framework of the pilot studies undertaken by this Committee. The organization of a yearly symposium dealing with air pollution modeling and its application is one of the main activities within the pilot study in relation to air pollution. After being organized for five years by the United States and for five years by the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, represented by the Prime Minister's Office for science Policy, became responsible in 1980 for the organization of this symposium. This volume contains the papers presented at the 14th Inter national Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling and its Appli cation held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 27th to 30th September 1983. This meeting was jointly organized by the Prime Minister's Office for Science Policy, Belgium, and the National Agency of Environmental Protection, Air Pollution Laboratory, Ris~ National Laboratory, Denmark. The conference was attended by 103 partici pants and 43 papers have been presented. The members of the se lection committee of the 14th I.T.M. were A. Berger (Chairman, Belgium), W. Klug (Federal Republic of Germany), K. Demerjian (United States of America), L. Santomauro (Italy), R. Van Dop (The Netherlands), R.E. Turner (Canada), C. De Wispelaere (Coordinator, Belgium).

This is the first in a new series of publications arlslng out of the work of the Committee on Challenges of Modern Society of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The CCMS was established in 1969 with a mandate to examine practical ways of improving the exchange of experience among mem ber nations of the Alliance in the task of creating a better envir onment for their societies. It was charged with considering "spe cific problems of the human environment with the deliberate objec tive of stimulating action by member governments". It may come as a surprise to some that NATO - generally thought of as being an organization devoted solely to matters of defence - should concern itself with the environment at all. But this is to overlook Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, which expressly provides that member count ries should contribute towards the furt her development of peaceful and friendly internat ional relations by promoting conditions of stability and well being. This concern is reflected in many non-military areas, in addition to the environmental one. I wish the present volume, which has been edited by the Bel gian Prime Minister's Office for Science Policy Programming, every success.

In 1949, when the North Atlantic Treaty was ratified, one of its articles explicitly noted '1hat member countries should contribute towards the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations." Specific problems related to the human environment were addressed by the Committee of Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS) of NATO, established in 1969. This provided a framework within which a series of International Technical Meetings (ITMs) on Air Pollution Modelling has been held. This volume documents the proceedings of the 18th meeting in this series. Science, like the arts and sports, provides an ideal vehicle for "developing peaceful and friendly international relations". National boundaries have never been barriers to the movement of air pollution, and fortunately this has also proved true of scientists studying the transport of air pollution. It is thus satisfying to record that since the mid-seventies it has been commonplace to find Eastern European scientists among attendees at the ITMs which have (in a very modest way) participated in a precursor to the process which has led to historical changes in Europe and which will undoubtedly lead to a tremendous increase in personal and intellectual exchange on a worldwide basis.

Proceedings of the 19th NATO/CCMS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling and its Application held in Crete, Greece, September 29-October 4, 1991