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ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY MODELING AND ANALYSIS SUPPORT MECHANISM
Citation:
Benjey, W G. AND R. E. Imhoff. ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMUNITY MODELING AND ANALYSIS SUPPORT MECHANISM. Presented at Emission Inventory Conference, Atlanta, GA, April 15-18, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this task is to thoroughly characterize the performance of the emissions, meteorological and chemical/transport modeling components of the Models-3 system, with an emphasis on the chemical/transport model, CMAQ. Emissions-based models are composed of highly complex scientific hypotheses concerning natural processes that can be evaluated through comparison with observations, but not validated. Both performance and diagnostic evaluation together with sensitivity analyses are needed to establish credibility and build confidence within the client and scientific community in the simulations results for policy and scientific applications. The characterization of the performance of Models-3/CMAQ is also a tool for the model developers to identify aspects of the modeling system that require further improvement.
Description:
During the fall of 2001, a Cooperative Research Agreement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and MCNC began a Community Modeling and Analysis System (CMAS) center. The CMAS will foster development, distribution, and use of the Models-3/CMAQ (Community Multiscale Air Quality) air quality modeling system. The CMAS is hosted by MCNC's Environmental Modeling Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The objectives of the CMAS are to (1) serve as a bridge between members of the Models-3/CMAQ modeling community, (2) encourage the growth of the user community, (3) serve as an information clearinghouse for model applications, emission modeling methods and data, (4) provide education about the models and their uses, (5) maximize the scientific content and performance value of the Models-3/CMAQ system by encouraging the expansion of the contributing developer community and taking advantage of multiple incremental contributions, and (6) provide computer and skill resources to the Models-3/CMAQ modeling community benefitting from economies of scale. Support and development work includes both emission modeling (through the Sparse Matrix Operator Kernel Emission system) and the CMAQ chemistry-transport modeling components. As a community modeling support center, the CMAS is open to all interested participants. The center is organized into five functional parts: (1) Administration, (2) Outreach, (3) Application Support, (4) Software Development, and (5) Modeling Research. The model code accepted and released as a part of Models-3/CMAQ will be open and shared with all. The External Advisory Committee, governing the CMAS policies and priorities, is a technically knowledgeable group including representatives of state and regional agencies, EPA, industry, consultants, academic institutions, and foreign users.
This paper has been reviewed in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's peer and administrative review policies and approved for presentation and publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.