Test Case 2: National Emissions Inventory

Description

A realistic national case that examines emissions on an inventory scale for the calendar year 2008.  Designed to be similar to the EPA's official National Emissions Inventory.  Follows EPA guidance where possible, but diverges in that we utilize different combinations of models where the EPA requires a specific modeling chain.  Also allows for the exact fire information set to change to reflect the various Fire Information Systems whereas EPA specifies the fire information to use.

Leverages EPA's 2008 NEI activity as well as previous fire NEI studies.

Purpose

To examine how fire information, fuels, consumption, and emissions variability affects aggregate statistics by region, vegetation type, month, etc. In this way compliments Test Case 1 in that it supplies a real world application.  Also designed to allow the EPA to directly benefit from the SEMIP results.

Analysis

Model-to-model primarily up to the GROUND CONCENTRATION output level. Then in-situ monitoring networks can be utilized.

Some locations can possibly be compared with collected observational data for certain fires, although this likely to be outside Phase 1.

Time and space scales:

• January 1 - December 31, 2008;  primary focus varies depending on location
  
• CONUS;  data through emissions by fire location;  atmospheric on 32km or 36km grid based on input met
  

Specific outputs notes:

• CONUS maps of fires, fuels, consumption, emissions aggregated to grid
  
• CONUS maps of smoke impacts
  

Model runs

Output levels

• ALL

Input data

• Output grid for VERTICAL PLUME PROFILE, TOTAL COLUMN SMOKE, and GROUND CONCENTRATION outputs
• Meteorological model output for running Plume Rise and Dispersion
  

Intermeditate initialization data

BASIC FIRE INFORMATION, FUEL LOADING, and SPECIATED EMISSIONS data available for those wishing to run starting from any of these levels

Guidelines

• No restrictions unless comparing with observational data;  then model must be independent of observational data.

• TOTAL COLUMN SMOKE and GROUND CONCENTRAION model outputs only from those starting with one of the SPECIATED EMISSIONS outputs provided.
  

Status

Currently gathering input data and discussing EPA NEI guidance with the EPA.

Notes