I am tracking the TAG CLASS “PM_TOT” using CMAQ v5.4 ISAM. The run successfully finished and I see all the source apportioned PM components in the SA outputs.
However, I just saw that source apportionment of SOA became available with CMAQ v5.5: CMAQ Release Notes: Instrumented Models: CMAQ ISAM · USEPA/CMAQ Wiki · GitHub
With SOA source apportionment now supported, all components of the particulate and gas phases are represented by CMAQ-ISAM and the apportionment of bulk PM metrics may be quantified.
Does this mean that SOA source apportionment results from tracking PM_TOT (or OA_TOT) using CMAQ v5.4 ISAM are wrong? If so, source apportionment of total PM2.5 (from CMAQ v5.4 ISAM) would be also wrong, right?
Could someone please clarify this?
Thanks!