Author(s)

A. Ebel & T. Davitashvili

Abstract

The demand for integrated modelling of different environmental compartments is increasing. With steadily growing computational power it seems possible to overcome the obstacles still preventing the comprehensive numerical treatment of the environmental system including society and economy. This article deals with approaches to the combined treatment of air, water and soil pollution aiming at impact and risk assessment. The design of forward and inverse (adjoint) model systems is discussed and examples of applications focussing on air pollution impacts are given. It is evident that complex system applications to risk and impact assessment are still at their beginning and that there is still considerable potential to be exploited. Keywords: pollution, forward modelling, inverse modelling, data assimilation, integrated modelling, air, water, soil, environmental impacts, risks. 1 Introduction Though it is well known that changes of a specific component of the environmental system, e.g. in air, water, soil, usually also affects the other components it is still common to treat the different media without caring too much about their interactions and interdependence. There are severe obstacles to multi- or interdisciplinary research of the integral environmental system. These are, among others, fundamental differences of physical and chemical processes controlling the various compartments (or components) of the environment,

Keywords

pollution, forward modelling, inverse modelling, data assimilation, integrated modelling, air, water, soil, environmental impacts, risks.