SMOKE Laypoint fails on MCIP 5.1 with VGTYP = -9999 ;

SMOKE
1

This relates to failures in our modeling system caused by WRF updating to use hybrid vertical coordinates.
Our new WRF runs are from WRF ARW V4.1.3.
We updated to MCIP5.1, which gives VGTYP as a value of -9999 in METCRO3D, and then SMOKEv3.5.1 Laypoint fails with message:
NOTE: file “MET_CRO_3D” was used to initialize meteorology file header checks.
NOTE: Grid settings initialized using MET_CRO_3D in
gridded file.

 *** ERROR ABORT in subroutine LAYPOINT
 Cannot process vertical coordinate type   -9999

Is -9999 a legal VGTYP out of MCIP, and if not how do I correct that?
If VGTYP = -9999 is legitimate from MCIP, what SMOKE and CMAQ versions are required to handle this MCIP?

Thanks!

2

@jvaughan_at_wsu.edu –

Yes, the vertical coordinate type of -9999 from MCIPv5.0+ is intentional for the data that originate from WRF and use the hybrid vertical coordinate, as no existing token values in I/O API adequately describe that coordinate. CMAQ has been coded to expect that this is a reasonable outcome, but I’m not sure what SMOKE does…except as you noted here. @bbaek and @cjcoats, do you have any thoughts here?

–Tanya

3

SMOKE’s laypoint uses sigma-interpolation. It could be modified to use pressure (or better, density; both of which it already reads and interpolates to stack-sites) from MET_CRO_3D as a coordinate for interpolation. See the WEIGHTS(:slight_smile: computation around line 1375. In principle, the result should be a better one :slight_smile: (That would, however, somewhat increase the compute-cost) of the program…)

4

Using WRF with hybrid vertical coordinate system, if I set the MCIP files’ VGTYP = 7 to run LAYPOINT, and run with that for CMAQ, what magnitude of error am I accepting? Would it be more correct to have CMAQ run with MCIP files with VGTYP=-9999?

5

If it is possible, I would suggest to use CMAQ for inline plume rise calculation option since I haven’t tested hybrid interpolation.

6

I am having this same error - we are preparing fire emissions in SMOKE for a CAMx run using these scripts: https://gaftp.epa.gov/Air/emismod/2016/beta/2016fg_addendum/2016fg_scripts_addendum_to_2016ff.zip

SMOKE 4.7, MCIP 5.1, WRF 4.2

7

You need to update your Laypoint (SMOKE v4.7) with the latest version from SMOKE v4.8 or v4.8.1 to handle this hybrid VGTYP = -9999.

8

Hello, I also encountered the same problem, but my SMOKE has been updated to version 4.7，there any good solution？Thank you very much。

9

oh,I solved the problem, and as another post in the forum said,We need to use m3edhdr to change the header of each file to VGTYP=7.
See the web page for m3edhdr：Program M3EDHDR

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11

Hi @LuZhang!

Admittedly, emissions is not my expertise. However, I think it is dangerous to use M3EDHDR to change VGTYP from -9999 to 7. Each of those token values has different meaning for the model and the vertical coordinate. By changing VGTYP from -9999 to 7 in your file, then you are misrepresenting the vertical structure and the heights of the model levels that you are using. You may want to reconsider another approach and do what was suggested by @bbaek earlier in this thread.

–Tanya

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