AERMOD: A Dispersion Model for Industrial Source Applications. Part II: Model Performance against 17 Field Study Databases

TLDR

AERMOD is a steady‑state plume model that offers significant improvements over commonly used regulatory models, making it especially valuable for applied regulatory modeling; this article is the second in a two‑part series, with the first detailing the model formulations. The study evaluates AERMOD’s performance against 17 field‑study databases, emphasizing statistics that demonstrate its ability to reproduce the upper end of concentration distributions. The authors characterized the 17 databases and defined performance measures, then analyzed field measurements across flat and complex terrain, urban and rural sites, and both elevated and surface releases with and without building‑wake effects. Comparisons of modeled and observed concentration distributions reveal that, with few exceptions, AERMOD’s performance is superior to that of other applied models tested.

Abstract

Abstract The performance of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regulatory Model (AERMOD) Improvement Committee’s applied air dispersion model against 17 field study databases is described. AERMOD is a steady-state plume model with significant improvements over commonly applied regulatory models. The databases are characterized, and the performance measures are described. Emphasis is placed on statistics that demonstrate the model’s abilities to reproduce the upper end of the concentration distribution. This is most important for applied regulatory modeling. The field measurements are characterized by flat and complex terrain, urban and rural conditions, and elevated and surface releases with and without building wake effects. As is indicated by comparisons of modeled and observed concentration distributions, with few exceptions AERMOD’s performance is superior to that of the other applied models tested. This is the second of two articles, with the first describing the model formulations.