# CCTM\_DUSTEMIS\_\* emissions zero but ASOIL non-zero

**URL:** <https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739>\
**Category:** Run Time Errors and Issues\
**Created:** [August 25, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739 "2020-08-25T05:34:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![skunwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@skunwar](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/skunwar)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/1 "2020-08-25T05:34:21Z")

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Here is a configuration I used in CMAQv5.3.2 runscript to activate the WBDUST module:

```
setenv CTM_WB_DUST Y
setenv CTM_WBDUST_BELD UNKNOWN 
setenv CTM_DUSTEM_DIAG Y
if ( $CTM_WB_DUST == 'Y' ) then
# Input variables for BELD3 Landuse option
#setenv DUST_LU_1 $LUpath/beld3_12US1_459X299_output_a.ncf
#setenv DUST_LU_2 $LUpath/beld4_12US1_459X299_output_tot.ncf
endif

```

Above configuration (and also another run with setenv DUST\_LU\_1 and setenv DUST\_LU\_2 uncommented) resulted in the output CCTM\_DUSTEMIS\_\* files having 0 emissions for any PM species (fine or coarse) at any timestamp, while the CCTM\_CONC\_\* file has ASOIL concentration that is nonzero. The only ‘problem’ I see is this message on the CCTM\_LOG\_\* file:  
 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/uploads/cmas/original/1X/968293e483214b33d3481948ed1a25b2698c6a26.png)

What could I have missed that would lead to CCTM\_DUSTEMIS\_\* files having zero PM emission for all timestamps, while the CCTM\_CONC\_\* file has nonzero ASOIL concentration?

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**Author:** ![cjcoats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@cjcoats](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/cjcoats)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 1:33pm UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/2 "2020-08-25T13:33:44Z")

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You should not have commented-out _setenv DUST\_LU\_1 $LUpath/beld3\_12US1\_459X299\_output\_a.ncf_  
The log says that without this _setenv_ it cannot open the file in the current running directory.

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**Author:** ![skunwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@skunwar](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/skunwar)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/3 "2020-08-25T20:31:00Z")

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CMAQ runs with ‘setenv CTM\_WBDUST\_BELD UNKNOWN’ as it is using MCIP land data and not DUST\_LU\_1. My only problem was CCTM\_DUSTEMIS\_\* showing 0 windblown dust emission, true even when ‘setenv CTM\_WBDUST\_BELD BELD3’ and ‘DUST\_LU\_1,2’ are found and read by CMAQ. All this is happening while the lumped ASOIL variable is not zero in the CCTM\_CONC\_\* output files.

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**Author:** ![hogrefe.christian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@hogrefe.christian](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/hogrefe.christian)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/4 "2020-08-27T13:14:05Z")

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Aside from emissions, another potential source of ASOIL is from initial and boundary conditions. Do you have non-zero ASOIL concentrations in either of these?

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**Author:** ![skunwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@skunwar](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/skunwar)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 3:25pm UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/5 "2020-08-28T15:25:43Z")

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I have mapped global model dust species of different radii to ASOIL in CMAQ. The hotspots for the dust, as seen in the default ncview colormap, are definitely outside the US, like in Africa and Asia, but I need to zoom in on the US and make conversion of the global model ‘mmr’ units to cmaq-compatible ‘ppbV’ units first.

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**Author:** ![hogrefe.christian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@hogrefe.christian](https://forum.cmascenter.org/u/hogrefe.christian)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.cmascenter.org/t/cctm-dustemis-emissions-zero-but-asoil-non-zero/1739/6 "2020-08-28T20:01:12Z")

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In the regional CMAQ run for which you reported non-zero ASOIL concentrations but zero emissions in the CCTM\_DUSTEMIS file, did your boundary and/or initial conditions files have non-zero ASOIL concentrations?

There are two potential scenarios here:

1. Wind-blown dust emissions are actually being generated in the CMAQ run as intended by your run script settings, but there is a problem with writing these emissions to the diagnostic output file

2. The diagnostic output file is correct and wind-blown dust emissions are indeed not being generated by CMAQ despite the run script settings

If the non-zero ASOIL concentrations can be traced back to your boundary and/or initial conditions, it would point towards the second scenario. On the other hand, if these concentrations appear to be generated within the domain, it would point towards the first scenario.