The CALPUFF air dispersion modeling system is extremely powerful and contains many refined features for users to conduct air modeling. A consequence of the model’s refined nature means some calculations can take a very long time to complete, however. Some situations may call for a modeler to conduct multiple model runs thus compounding the runtimes.
Contour plots are one of the most common forms of output from air dispersion models. They are useful in quickly identifying maximum concentration as well as trends in the data, but they also require a careful eye to ensure proper interpretation.
The AERMOD model features default units for emission inputs and concentration or deposition outputs. Emissions are presented as grams per second (g/s), and concentrations are calculated as micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). However, there may come a time when these default units need to be changed to better represent project data. This change can be easily made via the Source Pathway options.
CALRoads View is Lakes Software’s interface for handling the CALINE series of air dispersion models. Used for assessing air pollutant concentrations from on-road emissions of motor vehicles, CALRoads View includes three models: CALINE4, CAL3QHC, and CAL3QHCR.
The U.S. EPA’s Air Quality Modeling Group (AQMG) recently announced that their annual Dispersion Modelers’ Workshop will be held in Nashville, TN from July 8-10, 2025. This year’s Workshop will not feature a “Stakeholder Day” for members of the general public.
Several months ago, we published a Modeling Tip discussing important changes to processing upper air with the AERMET meteorological preprocessor. Since that time, the U.S. EPA released the 24142 versions of AERMET and other AERMOD modeling system components. This update expanded AERMET’s capabilities for handling the Integrated Global Radiosonde Archive (IGRA) upper air data format, and Lakes Software’s AERMET View Version 13.0 provides further optimization for users.