Support Center for Regulatory Atmospheric Modeling (SCRAM)

Air Quality Dispersion Modeling - Related Model Support Programs

The programs and utilities listed here are used in support of some of the preferred/recommended, alternative, and screening models and include AERCOARE, AERMAP, AERPLOT, AERSURFACE, BPIP, BPIPPRM, CALMET2NCF, CALMPRO, CHAVG, CONCOR, EMS-HAP, MMIF, and MMIFstat.

Related Programs Supporting Air Quality Modeling
AERCOARE - Beta
The Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) air-sea flux procedure was coded into a meteorological data preprocessor program called AERCOARE. AERCOARE can read overwater measured hourly meteorological data or predicted hourly meteorological data from the Mesoscale Model Interface (MMIF) program. The output from AERCOARE is used by the AERMOD dispersion program in a marine environment.

An AERMOD-COARE approach was recently approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 as an alternative model to OCD for application in an Arctic ice-free environment with concurrence from the EPA Model Clearinghouse. Please reference the 2011 Model Clearinghouse formal action, record number 11-X-01. In that application, the COARE algorithm was applied to overwater measurements and the results assembled in a spreadsheet. AERCOARE replaces the need for post-processing with a spreadsheet, provides support for missing data, adds options for the treatment of overwater mixing heights, and can consider many different input data formats.
Model Code
Source Code (ZIP)(26.3 M)
EPA is providing “beta” releases of various programs to facilitate the processing and evaluation of inputs and outputs for dispersion models. These draft programs support non-regulatory use and evaluation of dispersion models by the modeling community. Any proposed regulatory use of AERCOARE in providing inputs to dispersion models must be done in accordance with Appendix W and approved by the appropriate reviewing authority on a case-by-case basis. Beta users should send comments and any issues they find to Herman Wong of EPA's Region 10 Office. Users can email questions, comments, suggestions, or improvements to wong.herman@epa.gov.
Model Documentation
Users Manual (PDF)(32 pp, 633 K, 2012)
AERCOARE Model Evaluation (PDF)(89 pp, 26 M, 2012)
AERMAP - Version 11103
AERMAP is a terrain preprocessor for AERMOD. AERMAP processes commercially available Digital Elevation Data and creates a file suitable for use within an AERMOD control file. This file would contain elevation and hill-height scaling factors for each receptor in the air dispersion study.
Model Code
README (TXT)(2 K, 2011)
Executable (ZIP)(2 M)
Source Code (ZIP)(198 K)
Test Cases (ZIP)(16.3 M)
Model Documentation

README (TXT)(2 K, 2011)
Model Change Bulletin #1 (TXT)(12 K, 2006)
Model Change Bulletin #2 (TXT)(16 K, 2009)
Model Change Bulletin #3 (TXT)(2 K, 2011)
User's Guide (PDF) (980 K, 2016)

Related Procedure
XYZ Elevation Data Preparation and Entry Procedure (ZIP)(1.6 M) - This file contains the user's guide, test case and a readme file.
SDTS to DEM Format Conversion Program (ZIP)(209 K)
AERPLOT - Versions 16216 and 13329
AERPLOT is tool that converts the AERMOD.PLT (AERMOD plot file) output to a .KMZ (Google Earth) format for convenient receptor and contour plotting. Receptors and contours are plotted and colored according to the respective concentrations. Version 16216 is the latest release version, but it is still being tested throughout the user community. In case of unforeseen bugs or issues, Version 13329 is also being maintained at this time.
Model Code

README (TXT)(6 K)
Version 16216 - Executable (ZIP)(6.7 M)
Version 13329 - Executable (ZIP)(6.7 M)

Model Documentation

AERPLOT Release Notes - Version 16216 (TXT)(6 K)
AERPLOT Release Notes - Version 13329 (TXT)(6 K)

AERSURFACE - Version 13016
AERSURFACE is a tool that processes land cover data to determine the surface characteristics for use in AERMET.
Model Code
README (TXT)(1 K, 2013)
Executable (ZIP)(810 K)
Source Code (ZIP)(83 K)
Test Case (ZIP)(780 K)
Model Documentation
README (TXT)(1 K, 2013)
Model Change Bulletin #1 (TXT)(4 K, 2013)
User's Guide (PDF)(34 pp, 951 K, 2013) - Updated for v13016.
BPIP
Building Profile Input Program (BPIP) is a PC-based program designed to incorporate the concepts and procedures expressed in the Good Engineering Practice (GEP) technical support document, Guideline for Determination of Good Engineering Practice Stack Height (PDF)(101 pp, 4 M, 1985, About PDF), building downwash guidance, and other related references that correctly calculate building heights (bh) and projected building widths (pbw) for simple, multi-tiered, and groups of structures. This program is often used with the ISC3 model. This most recent version of BPIP, 4/21/04, has been upgraded with allocatable arrays while maintaining the basic functionality of the program.
Model Code
Code/Executable/Test Case (ZIP)(276 K)
Model Documentation
README (TXT)(1 K)
User's Guide (PDF)(86 pp, 317 K, 1995)
User's Guide Updates (PDF)(6 pp, 13 K, 2004)
Latest Model Change Bulletin (TXT)(57 K)
BPIPPRM
Building Profile Input Program for PRIME (BPIPPRM) is the same as BPIP but includes an algorithm for calculating downwash values for input into the PRIME algorithm which is contained in such models as AERMOD. The input structure of BPIPPRM is the same as that of BPIP and is often used with the ISC3 model. For more information, see the BPIP User's Guides.
Model Code
Code/Executable/Test Case (ZIP)(323 K)
Model Documentation
README (TXT)(5 K)
Addendum to the ISC3 User's Guide containing BPIPPRM documentation (PDF)(13 pp, 229 K, 1997)
Latest Model Change Bulletin(44 K)
CALMET2NCF - Beta
The CALMET2NCF program allows users to convert multivariate gridded environmental datasets created by the CALMET meteorological model into netCDF format. This beta release of this program is written in Fortran 90 (f90) and C. These new files can then be visualized using the Visualization Environment for Rich Data Interpretation (VERDI).Exit The CALMET2NCF users’ guide documents the program functionality, installation instructions, and shows example illustrations of CALMET output. There are currently 2 distributions of this code, one with all third party libraries (CALMET2netCDF_Libraries.tar.gz) and one with just pre-compiled executables (CALMET2netCDF.tar.gz).
Model Code
Source Code (GZ)(13 M)
Pre-compiled Executables (GZ)(9 M)
EPA is providing “beta” releases of various programs to facilitate the processing and evaluation of inputs and outputs for dispersion models. These draft programs support non-regulatory use and evaluation of dispersion models by the modeling community. We will be providing an overview of these beta programs as part of the 10th Modeling Conference in mid-March 2012 and welcome comments on these tools. Beta users should send comments and any issues they find to Chris Misenis of EPA/AQMG. Users can email questions, comments, suggestions, or improvements to misenis.chris@epa.gov.

As necessary, we may provide updates for certain programs when necessary, but we are not currently supporting or maintaining these programs for regulatory applications. Based on input from the modeling community and our own assessment of these tools, we will determine if they should be considered for regulatory use and, if so, would need to undertake the necessary efforts to provide appropriate guidance and other supports for such use.
Model Documentation
Users Guide (PDF)(26 pp, 904 K, 2012)
CALMPRO
Calms Processor (CALMPRO) is a meteorological processor which provides consistent application of handling calms by setting the wind direction of the calm hour to the last reported wind direction and the wind speed to 1 m/s.
Model Code and Documentation
Code/Test Case/Readme (ZIP)(12 K)
Latest Model Change Bulletin (TXT)(2 K, 1989)
CHAVG
CHAVG is a post-processor program for computing running averages (averages that begin each hour and overlap) and end-to-end averages (averages that do not overlap) from hourly concentrations files.
Model Code and Documentation
Code/Test Case/Readme (TXT)(32 K)
Latest Model Change Bulletin (TXT)(2 K, 1989)
CONCOR
CONCOR is a program for converting latitude/longitude coordinates to UTM or UTM coordinates to latitude/longitude.
Model Code and Documentation
Code/Executable/Test Case/Readme (ZIP)(31 K)
Latest Model Change Bulletin (TXT)(2 K, 1990)
EMS-HAP
The Emissions Modeling System for Hazardous Pollutants (EMS-HAP) is an emissions processor that performs the steps needed to process an emission inventory for input into the ASPEN model or the ISCST3 model. EMS-HAP is written in the SAS programming language and is designed to run on any UNIX workstation. The user will need a SAS license and some knowledge of SAS to use this program.
Model Code
EMS-HAP Modeling System (ZIP)(146 M)
Model Documentation
Descriptive Statement (PDF)(1 pp, 12 K)
Version 2: User's Guide (PDF)(452 pp, 5 M, 2002) - For reference only.
Version 3: User's Guide (PDF)(448 pp, 3 M, 2004)
MMIF

The Mesoscale Model Interface Program (MMIF) converts prognostic meteorological model output fields to the parameters and formats required for direct input into dispersion models. Supported dispersion models include AERMOD, SCICHEM, and CALPUFF. This beta release of MMIF specifically processes geophysical and meteorological output fields from the Fifth Generation Mesoscale Model (MM5, version 3) and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model (Advanced Research WRF [ARW] core, versions 2 and 3). The program diagnoses certain required parameters that are not directly available from various versions of MM5 or WRF. It also offers the option to directly pass through planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights from the meteorological models, or to independently diagnose them from other variables. The MMIF user’s guide documents MMIF v3.3 and includes descriptions of the algorithms, the program code, user input, and runtime instructions. A MMIF Change Log is provided to account for notable changes from the original MMIF release in 2009. The remainder of this section provides background information.

Users should send any discovered technical bugs or issues to Chris Misenis of EPA/AQMG. Users can email questions, comments, suggestions, or improvements to misenis.chris@epa.gov.

Model Code
MMIFv3.3 - Source Code (2.0MB,ZIP) - Updated 12-09-2016
MMIFv3.3 - Test Problems (no MM5 or WRF files included) (236MB,ZIP)
MM5 and WRF files used in the Test Problem for all versions of MMIF (3.0 GB,ZIP)
Model Documentation

User's Guide (PDF)(67 pp, 552 K) - Updated 12-09-2016
MMIF Change Log (TXT)(15 K) - Updated 12-09-2016

Guidance on the Use of the Mesoscale Model Interface Program (MMIF) for AERMOD Applications (PDF) (413 K, 2016)
Evaluation of Prognostic Meteorological Data in AERMOD Applications (PDF) (7.7 M, 2016)

MMIFstat - Beta
The MMIFSTAT program generates time series data and estimates model performance metrics by comparing user supplied observation data with CALMET formatted meteorological data. This beta release of MMIFSTAT was developed through funding from the National Park Service, Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and EPA Region 10.
Model Code
Source Code (ZIP)(296 K)
MMIF Macro Spreadsheet (XLS)(149 K)
EPA is providing “beta” releases of various programs to facilitate the processing and evaluation of inputs and outputs for dispersion models. These draft programs support non-regulatory use and evaluation of dispersion models by the modeling community. We will be providing an overview of these beta programs as part of the 10th Modeling Conference in mid-March and welcome comments on these tools. Beta users should send comments and any issues they find to Chris Misenis of EPA/AQMG. Users can email questions, comments, suggestions, or improvements to misenis.chris@epa.gov.

As necessary, we may provide updates for certain programs when necessary, but we are not currently supporting or maintaining these programs for regulatory applications. Based on input from the modeling community and our own assessment of these tools, we will determine if they should be considered for regulatory use and, if so, would need to undertake the necessary efforts to provide appropriate guidance and other supports for such use.
Model Documentation
Users Guide (PDF)(18 pp, 343 K, 2010)

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