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2011a Modeling Platform

Described in detail in the 3SAQS_2011a modeling protocol, this 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 table below lists the 3SAQS_2011a air quality modeling platform components, including a qualitative metric of the level of evaluation for each component. The data components only cover 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.

TypeOptionSourceDescriptionNotes/ReferencesEvaluation (1=low, 10=high)
Modeling Software
 CAMx v6.10ENVIRONChemistry-transport model configured with CB6r2 photochemistry for simulating gas, aerosols, and depositionwww.camx.com8
 CMAQ v5.0.2US EPAChemistry-transport model configured with CB05 photochemistry for simulating gas, aerosols, and depositionwww.cmaq-model.org 8
 WRF v3.5.1NOAARegional climate model configured for simulating meteorology over the Inter-mountain Westwww.wrf-model.org 8
 SMOKEv3.5.1UNC-IEEmissions processor for preparing emissions inventory and ancillary data for input to chemistry-transport modelswww.smoke-model.org 8
Emissions Data
 Emissions v2011a3SAQS2011 emissions data prepared for CAMx and CMAQ with SMOKEWiki
Evaluation Report		7
Meteorology Data
 Meteorology v2011a3SAQS2011 meteorology data estimated with WRF and prepared for CAMx and CMAQ with WRFCAMx and MCIPThe version a WRF simulation is not configured for wintertime O3 conditions;
Wiki
Evaluation report		7
Initial and Boundary ConditionsCondition Data
 MOZART ICBCsNOAA/3SAQS2011 Initial/Boundary Conditions from NOAA global GEOS5 MOZART simulations; prepared for CAMx with MZ2CAMx The MOZART (MZ) boundary conditions bring too much dust into the 3SAQS modeling domains. While the ozone and inorganic PM model performance with the MZ BC's is generally acceptable (see 3SAQS CAMx B11a MPE report), the total PM2.5 concentrations are too high. 8
 Geos-Chem ICBCsHarvard/3SAQS2011 Initial/Boundary Conditions from Harvard global GEOS-Chem simulations; prepared for CAMx with GEOS2CAMx The GEOS-Chem (GC) boundary conditions reduce the dust concentrations in the 3SAQS modeling domains, the CAMx performance for ozone and inorganic PM species degrades relative to the MZ boundary conditions 8
 Hybrid MZ-GC ICBCs3SAQS2011 Initial/Boundary Conditions with non-dust species from NOAA MOZART runs and dust species from Harvard GEOS-Chem runsThe 3SAQS modeling team engineered an ICBC dataset that leverages the best features of both the MZ and GC global model results. The hybrid BCs combine the GC dust concentrations with the rest of the species (gas and aerosols) from MZ. We have not run a CAMx simulation with the hybrid ICBC data.1
Other Input Data
 Ozone ColumnsNASADaily ozone column data processed for CAMx using the utility AHOMAPv4Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer/Ozone Monitoring Instrument2
 Chemistry ParametersENVIRONCAMxv6.10 chemistry parameters files for CB6r2 and aerosol module CF 9
 LanduseENVIRONNALC data merged with Leaf Area Index data using ArcGIS macros, Perl, and Fortran 8
 Total UV columnsENVIRONDaily photolysis rates calculated using TUV v4.8Average values for typical snow cover were utilized; note that this is in contrast to the more highly reflective white snow that typically occurs during winter high ozone events in southwest Wyoming and the Uinta Basin in Utah. Note that the 3SAQS will address winter ozone modeling using a subsequent round of 2011 modeling8