AERPLOT Sample Run
Table of Contents
AERPLOT Sample Run 1
Overview of the Step-by-Step Instructions 1
Step-by-Step Instructions 1
Preparation 1
In the [Link] window, go to the “Sample Run File” folder. 2
Get AERPLOT and the “AERPLOT Sample Run” file [Link] . 2
See how the plot file is specified in the [Link] file. 2
In the Sample Run folder, add a line to [Link] . 3
Run AERMOD again. See the [Link] file appear. 3
Run AERPLOT and Google Earth. 3
Appendices 4
Appendix: AERPLOT and AERMOD File Extensions 4
Appendix: If you run into problems 4
Overview of the Step-by-Step Instructions
This example assumes that the user has run through the “Sample Run File” tutorial for AERMOD. That means
that the user has a folder in which AERMOD has run, and that folder contains the end-product files like
[Link] .
Using a web browser and a [Link] window, the user will retrieve [Link] and its [Link] file
and place them into the “Sample Run File” folder. Then the user will make a one-line addition to AERMOD’s
[Link] file.
On running AERMOD again, this time it will produce the “plot file”, to be named [Link]. At that point
the AERPLOT program will also open the “earth browser” Google Earth (previously installed) to reveal the
plot.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparation
This example assumes that the user has run through the “Sample Run file”.
This example assumes Windows. To see the plot, it assumes that you have installed Google Earth. (Available
at [Link] ).
This example works with AERPLOT 16216 and AERMOD 19191.
1
In the [Link] window, go to the “Sample Run File” folder.
This is as was done in “Sample Run File”.
Get AERPLOT and the “AERPLOT Sample Run” file [Link] .
Use the web browser that was used in the “Sample Run File”. Go to the EPA's scram web site at
[Link] . There, under "Air Quality Models", find the "Dispersion Modeling" link and click
it.
There, find the link for "Related Programs" and click that.
Then, you can find the link for the "AERPLOT", so click that. Clicking on the AERPLOT link will take you to the
AERPLOT section.
Click the "AERPLOT Sample Run (ZIP)" link. Clicking that should start a download of the ZIP file to your
computer.
If you are asked whether to open or save the ZIP file, click the little arrow next to the Save button, select the
“Save As” option, and save it to the SampleRun folder you made for AERMOD’s “Sample Run File”.
At this point, the user is done with the web browser and can close it.
Unzip the file in the same way you did for aermod’s “Sample Run File”. You should leave the [Link]
and [Link] in the SampleRun folder.
See how the plot file is specified in the [Link] file.
Note that the plot file name is specified, here as [Link] :
PlotFileName = [Link]
If that is not the case, please edit the line to match the above text. (This can happen if you did not install the
[Link] file from the SampleRun folder, but instead are using the one from the AERPLOT installation zip
file. Currently, that uses a dummy name, [Link] .)
At this point, if and only If you do not want to see the plot or don't have an earth browser, set the
“disableEarthBrowser” line, up above, to:
sDisableEarthBrowser = true
2
In the Sample Run folder, add a line to [Link] .
Remember that [Link] can be a good editor.
At the end of [Link], add the PLOTFILE line, changing:
OU STARTING
RECTABLE ALLAVE FIRST-THIRD
MAXTABLE ALLAVE 50
SUMMFILE [Link]
OU FINISHED
To:
OU STARTING
RECTABLE ALLAVE FIRST-THIRD
MAXTABLE ALLAVE 50
SUMMFILE [Link]
PLOTFILE 3 ALL FIRST [Link]
OU FINISHED
Run AERMOD again. See the [Link] file appear.
You can look at the plot file in an editor. The plot file is straightforward. The file header explains a lot, and
the data is arranged in columns.
Run AERPLOT and Google Earth.
Run the program by just typing:
aerplot
If the earth browser is available, then when the AERPLOT run concludes, the earth browser will open and
provide the mappings for examination.
In Google Earth, the panel to the upper left contains controls that can make the different parts of the
mapping disappear and reappear. Try turning them on and off to get a feel for this collection of tools.
In the plot area itself, there are circles of dots that represent the receptors that AERMOD had calculated. The
color scale used indicates the concentrations found, and in the panel to the upper left and the “legend” to
the lower left, the concentration ranges are shown.
3
Pick any of the dots in the plot, and click on it. An “information balloon” opens up with information about
that dot’s receptor.
To exit Google Earth, use Alt-F4, or use the “Exit” menu item in the File menu, or click on the “X” button in
the window’s upper right.
To exit [Link], enter the “exit” command, or use Alt-F4, or click on the “X” button in the window’s upper
right.
Appendices
Appendix: AERPLOT and AERMOD File Extensions
This table is a list of the AERPLOT file types used by this example. It supplements the list of AERMOD file
types in the “Sample Run File” folder.
Extension Meaning
*.plt “plot file” of data to be plotted, output by
AERMOD and read by AERPLOT
*.kmz Compressed collection of XML data for earth
browser, output by AERPLOT
*.exe executable file
*.inp input file
Appendix: If you run into problems
We are available through the SCRAM web site "Contact us" page,
[Link] .