2011b Modeling Platform Description
Recommendations
July 22, 2015
The Western Air Quality Study’s 2011b modeling platform and individual components as described below are released for use in regional air quality modeling studies by the Western Air Quality Study cooperating agencies for use in their studies, and for external users approved by the cooperators.
The 2011b platform is suitable for regional studies of warm season ozone. Studies of: 1) cold season ozone formation; 2) particulate matter, visibility, and deposition, in general; and 3) decisions about which global model boundary conditions to apply should be undertaken only with knowledge and understanding of the limitations on model performance discussed in the 2011b platform documentation.
Version B of the 2011 modeling (2011b) platform improves specific model performance issues discovered in the 2011a platform. All 2011b modeling data and results are available through the Western / 3-State Data Warehouse Data Request page.
Description
The 2011b platform consists of data and software for simulating year 2011 air quality over a modeling domain focused on the states of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. The 3SAQS_2011a Modeling Protocol was used to guide the WAQS 2011b modeling.One important improvement in the 2011b platform is in the consideration of how snow cover impacts ozone formation. Base11b uses WRF meteorology that includes SNODAS snow cover/snow depth data and versions of WRFCAMx and CAMx with specialized dynamical and chemical parameterizations for areas covered by snow. Simulation Base11b used a winter configuration for both WRF and CAMx for the months December 2010 through March 2011. The rest of the simulation year (April-Decebember 2011) used the same WRF data and the same version of CAMx as simulation Base11a.
When ordering the Base11b Modeling Platform from the IWDW, the distribution package includes both the standard (v6.10) and winter version of CAMx and WRFCAMx. To reproduce the WAQS Base11b simulation, the winter configuration should only be used for December 2010 though March 31, 2011.
Model performance evaluation products for simulation 2011b will be posted as they become available.
The table below lists the 2011b air quality modeling platform components. These components cover only the input data to the chemistry-transport models. For information on data further up the processing chain, such as the emissions inventories used as inputs to SMOKE, refer to the Wiki pages for the different components.
| Type | Option | Source | Description | Notes/References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modeling Software | ||||
| CAMx v6.10 | ENVIRON | Chemistry-transport model configured with CB6r2 photochemistry | www.camx.com | |
| WRF v3.5.1 | NOAA | Regional climate model configured for simulating meteorology over the Inter-mountain West | www.wrf-model.org | |
| SMOKEv3.5.1 | UNC-IE | Emissions processor for preparing emissions inventory and ancillary data for input to chemistry-transport models | www.smoke-model.org | |
| Emissions Data | ||||
| Emissions v2011b | WAQS | 2011 emissions data prepared for CAMx and CMAQ with SMOKE | WAQS 2011b Emissions | |
| Emissions v2025_11b | WAQS | 2025 emissions data prepared for CAMx and CMAQ with SMOKE | WAQS 2025 Emissions | |
| Meteorology Data | ||||
| Meteorology v2011a | 3SAQS | 2011 meteorology data estimated with WRF and prepared for CAMx with WRFCAMx | This WRF simulation includes a wintertime O3 configuration to improve the representation of cold air pools WAQS 2011b Meteorology Evaluation report | |
| Initial and Boundary Condition Data | ||||
| MOZART ICBCs | NOAA/3SAQS | 2011 Initial/Boundary Conditions from NOAA global GEOS5 MOZART simulations; prepared for CAMx with MZ2CAMx; fine and coarse mode dust and sea salt removed. | While the ozone and inorganic PM model performance with the MZ BC's was generally acceptable in simulation Base2011a (see 3SAQS CAMx B11a MPE report), the total PM2.5 concentrations were too high. The 3SAQS modeling team removed the dust and sea salt from the MOZART (MZ) boundary conditions to mitigate CAMx total PM2.5 model performance problems. Wiki | |
| Other Input Data | ||||
| Ozone Columns | NASA | Daily ozone column data processed for CAMx using the utility AHOMAPv4 | Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer/Ozone Monitoring Instrument | |
| Chemistry Parameters | ENVIRON | CAMxv6.10 chemistry parameters files for CB6r2 and aerosol module CF | ||
| Landuse | ENVIRON | NALC data merged with Leaf Area Index data using ArcGIS macros, Perl, and Fortran | ||
| Total UV columns | ENVIRON | Daily photolysis rates calculated using TUV v4.8 | Average values for typical snow cover. These data do not simulate the more reflective white snow that typically occurs during winter high ozone events in southwest Wyoming and the Uinta Basin in Utah. | |
| Model Performance | ||||
| Air Quality Observations | N/A | N/A | List of aerometric data used to evaluation the 2011 CAMx and CMAQ simulations; 2011 Observational Data | |
| Meteorology MPE report | N/A | 3SAQS | Report detailing the methods and results of determining the quality of the 3SAQS 2011 WRF modeling; 2011 WRF MPE Report | |
| Air Quality MPE report | N/A | WAQS | Report detailing the methods and results of determining the quality of the WAQS 2011 air quality modeling; MPE Report Coming Soon | |
| Evaluation glossary | N/A | WAQS | Glossary of Evaluation Products | |
| Output Data | ||||
| CAMx Base11b | WAQS | Output data from a 2011 36/12/4-km domain CAMx simulation with MOZART boundary conditions | Wiki | |
| CMAQ Base11b | WAQS | Output data from a 2011 36/12/4-km domain CMAQ simulation with MOZART boundary conditions | In progress | |
| CAMx Base25a_11 | WAQS | Output data from a 2011-based 2025 36/12/4-km domain CAMx simulation with MOZART boundary conditions | Coming Soon | |
| CMAQ Base25a_11 | WAQS | Output data from a 2011-based 2025 36/12/4-km domain CMAQ simulation with MOZART boundary conditions | Coming Soon |