CALPUFF
Encyclopedia
CALPUFF is an advanced, integrated Gaussian puff
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...

 modeling system for the simulation of atmospheric pollution dispersion distributed by the Atmospheric Studies Group at TRC Solutions.

It is maintained by the model developers and distributed by TRC.
The model has been adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

 (EPA) in its Guideline on Air Quality Models as a preferred model for assessing long range transport of pollutants and their impacts on Federal Class I areas and on a case-by-case basis for certain near-field applications involving complex meteorological conditions.

The integrated modeling system consists of three main components and a set of preprocessing and postprocessing programs. The main components of the modeling system are CALMET (a diagnostic 3-dimensional meteorological model), CALPUFF (an air quality dispersion model), and CALPOST (a postprocessing package). Each of these programs has a graphical user interface
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...

 (GUI). In addition to these components, there are numerous other processors that may be used to prepare geophysical (land use and terrain) data in many standard formats, meteorological data (surface, upper air, precipitation, and buoy data), and interfaces to other models such as the Penn State/NCAR
National Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research has multiple facilities, including the I. M. Pei-designed Mesa Laboratory headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and sponsored by the National Science Foundation...

 Mesoscale Model (MM5), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction
National Centers for Environmental Prediction
The United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction delivers national and global weather, water, climate and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings and analyses to its Partners and External User Communities...

 (NCEP) Eta model and the RAMS meteorological model.

The CALPUFF model is designed to simulate the dispersion of buoyant, puff or continuous point and area pollution sources as well as the dispersion of buoyant, continuous line sources. The model also includes algorithms for handling the effect of downwash by nearby buildings in the path of the pollution plumes.

History

The CALPUFF model was originally developed by the Sigma Research Corporation (SRC) in the late 1980s under contract with the California Air Resources Board
California Air Resources Board
The California Air Resources Board, also known as CARB or ARB, is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Established in 1967 in the Mulford-Carrell Act, combining the Bureau of Air Sanitation and the Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board, CARB is a department within the...

 (CARB) and it was first issued in about 1990.

The Sigma Research Corporation subsequently became part of Earth Tech, Inc. After the US EPA designated CALPUFF as a preferred model in their Guideline on Air Quality Models, Earth Tech served as the designated distributor of the model.

In April 2006, ownership of the model switched from Earth Tech to the TRC Environmental Corporation, who are currently (August 2006) responsible for maintaining and distributing the model.

See also

  • Air pollution dispersion terminology
    Air pollution dispersion terminology
    Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...

  • Atmospheric dispersion modeling
    Atmospheric dispersion modeling
    Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...

  • Atmospheric Studies Group
    Atmospheric Studies Group
    The Atmospheric Studies Group is a part of TRC Solutions, a subsidiary of TRC Companies, Inc. headquartered in Lowell, Massachusetts. The ASG provides research and consulting services in the environmental and physical sciences with major emphasis on:...

  • List of atmospheric dispersion models

Further reading

www.crcpress.com
www.air-dispersion.com

External links




The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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