Synergistic lidar and modelling frameworks for pollution monitoring: assessing model reliability between diverse urban sites

Characterizing aerosol dynamics in coastal urban areas remains a challenge due to the interplay between complex topography and diverse emission sources. This study presents a framework integrating ground-based lidar observations with high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations to resolve the three-dimensional structure of the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) boundary layer. We validate a high-resolution WRF model using diverse ground-based measurements. By evaluating distinct synoptic regimes such as long-range dust transport and complex multi-source pollution layering, we demonstrate how numerical modelling complements lidar-derived profiles of aerosols, humidity, and thermodynamics. A key finding of this integrated approach is the WRF capacity to provide relatively high accuracy estimates during daytime periods when solar background noise typically limits lidar signal, enabling continuous, 24-hour characterization of complex urban vertical profile. In particular, the WRF model successfully simulated key atmospheric features observed by lidar, supporting its application as a validated, complementary tool for refining urban air quality representation, especially during periods when continuous observational data are limited or unavailable. Our analysis also shows that surface-level monitoring largely underestimates the vertical complexity of pollution transport in regions like Haifa and Tel Aviv. This study presents a transferable methodology for refining aerosol and moisture distribution assessments in urban areas, where pollution layering conditions are difficult to predict.