Meteorological Data Tech Sheet (PDF 92 KB)

METEOROLOGICAL DATAestimate friction velocity, sensible heat flux, and Monin-Obukhov length. These three values are then used to estimatemixing height. This procedure enables us to provide hourlydata for short-term modeling to BREEZE users worldwide.Obtaining Model-readyMeteorological DataThere are three methods for obtaining the model-readymeteorological data required for air dispersion modeling.? Electronic Delivery within 1 hourTrinity Consultants has been collecting data for more than25 years. Our extensive database and worldwide resourcesallow us to bring you the latest available data usuallywithin 1 hour. To order online, visit our Web site atwww.breeze-software.com and click on the Met Wizard.Or order model-ready data via phone, fax, or e-mail.? Let Trinity process your raw dataSave time and money by letting Trinity process your datafor input to the models. Our qualified, experiencedmeteorologists will work with your data set to ensure thatit is correctly formatted and complete prior to processing.? Purchase raw data for processingObtain the raw meteorological data from Trinity andprocess the data yourself. Trinity maintains an extensivelibrary of standard surface, mixing height, upper air,precipitation, and buoy data.Trinity Consultants has an extensive library of raw and model-ready meteorological data for locations worldwide and a staff ofprofessional meteorologists who process and quality-check eachorder. From simple, single scenario screening analyses tocomplicated mesoscale modeling applications, you can rely onTrinity for fast, quality data.Hourly Data for Short-term ModelingModels that produce short-term averages of pollutant concentra-tions require hourly meteorological data. These include:? AERMOD? ADMS? CALPUFF? CAL3QHCR? EDMS? ISCST3/LTS/PRIME? RTDM? Other modelsMeteorological preprocessors, such as BREEZE® AERMET,PCRAMMET, and MPRM create model-ready data files usingsurface observations and upper air data.Data CollectionSurface observations are readily available from many locationsaround the world. Appropriate upper air data, used to determinemixing heights, are often more difficult to obtain. Upper airmeasurements are taken at fewer locations. Although Trinity hasaccess to these observations, there may not be location representa-tive of the site being modeled. Another difficulty is that themeasurements may be taken at a time of day that is incompatiblewith techniques for deriving hourly mixing heights. Finally,upper air data are often costly to obtain from national meteoro-logical agencies.To resolve the difficulties associated with upper air data, Trinityhas developed a program for estimating hourly mixing heightsbased on readily available surface data. Based on surface layer(Monin-Obukhov) similarity theory, our method uses routinesurface meteorological observations and site characteristics toAir Dispersion ModelingMeteorological Data RequirementsSLEDOM 3NEERCS 3TSCSI 3TLCSI DOMREA SMDA CHQ3LAC EZEERB ZAH FFUPLACYLRUOHLAITNEUQESLACITSITATSYRAMMUSNI-TLIUBGNILACSATADDENIFED-RESUREHTAEWSNOITIDNOCMeteorological data requirements vary depending on the averaging times and refinement of the model.BREEZE is a registered trademark of Trinity Consultants Incorporated.Copyright 2001. All rights reserved.(919) 549-0499 ? Fax: (919) 549-0273www.breeze-software.combreeze@trinityconsultants.comSpecial Meteorological DataRequirements for ModelingTrinity’s professional meteorologists and extensive data libraryenables us to handle non-standard meteorological data and dataprocessing needs. Trinity has dedicated staff available to processand run all CALMET programs to generate the meteorologicalinput files for CALPUFF. This can be done for any number ofsurface and upper air sites over any domain size and resolution.? Deposition modelingCertain models require surface layer similarity parametersand precipitation data to estimate dry and wet deposition.The method uses routine surface meteorological observa-tions and site characteristics such as surface roughnesslength and albedo to estimate friction velocity and Monin-Obukhov length. We can accurately determine the necessarysite characteristic using a land-use analysis.? Hybrid Model RequirementsWe also have the expertise to process buoy, tower, and sodarmeteorological data for input into many hybrid models.Examples include estimating stability class from tower dataand estimating mixing depth, thermal internal boundarylayer (TIBL), or inversion depth from sodar data.As always, raw input meteorological data is automaticallychecked for integrity. Missing or erroneous data is identified andreplaced whenever possible.Trinity Consultants’ staff of pro-fessional meteorologists provide:? Data for locations worldwide? Query data online using theMet Wizard? Expert technical support? Rapid data delivery