Dispersion Modeling Guidelines

Air quality models can be used in the air quality permitting process to verify that a new stationary or portable source will not exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) or New Mexico Air Quality Standards (NMAAQS) for criteria air pollutants. All PDF and ZIP files can be downloaded by clicking with the right mouse button and selecting "save target as".

Air quality models use mathematical and numerical techniques to simulate the physical and chemical processes that affect air pollutants as they disperse and react in the atmosphere.  Based on inputs of meteorological data, source information (i.e. emission rates, stack height, exit gas temperatures, flows, and velocity, air dispersion models can characterize primary pollutants (i.e. oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, fine and course particulate matter) that are directly emitted into the atmosphere and secondary pollutants (ozone) that are formed from complex chemical reactions in the atmosphere.

• EPA's Dispersion Modeling Site
• EPA's Photochemical Modeling Site

Effective November 9, 2006, the new dispersion model AERMOD replaces the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) model - see guideline below.  AERMOD applies to complex terrain, and incorporates a new downwash algorithm, PRIME (Wednesday November 9, 2005 Federal Register; Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 51 “Revision to the Guideline on Air Quality Models:  Adoption of a Preferred General Purpose (Flat and Complex Terrain) Dispersion Model and Other Revisions; FINAL RULE”). 

• Revision to the Guideline on Air Quality Models 40CFR Part 51 (803kb)

Air Dispersion Modeling Guidelines and Technical Documentation

• Air Dispersion Modeling Guidelines (312kb)

Particulate Matter Background Determination Methodologies

• Methodologies for Calculating Particulate Background Concentrations (259kb)
• Surface Roughness Guidance Document - AERMOD Training (4851kb)
• Fugitive Emission Source Factor (1537kb)

Pollutant Background Concentrations

Surface Characteristic Data

Bowen Ratio Data

ISC Five Year data

AERMOD Meteorological  Data

City of Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Terrain Data

USGS 7.5 minute topographical Didital Elevation Model (DEM) files should be used in AERMAP to calculate receptor elevations, source elevations, hill heights etc. The primary DEMs needed for the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County area are shown in the table below and links to the DEM files are provided.