Test Air Concentration Calculation

From the top bar of the main menu select the Concentration / Quick Start / Run Example menu tabs. The Run Example tab initiates a windows only program that displays a source selection menu. A left-click resets the source location, while a right-click closes the selection window. For the purposes of this test, just right-click to accept the default location, which then results in window termination message. Select Yes and then ...

1. A control file is created which contains the starting time, location, name of the meteorological data file, details of the pollutant emission, concentration grid, and output file name.


2. The concentration model is then run which creates a binary gridded concentration output file.


3. A concentration plotting program is run which reads the binary air concentration file to create the Postscript graphics file.


4. The final plume Postscript graphic is displayed using Ghostview.

The display of the air concentration plume graphic means that all the HYSPLIT components have been correctly installed. In the unlikely event that the installation failed and the graphic was not displayed, please contact the HYSPLIT help desk for further information.

Because a plume simulation may consist of thousands of individual trajectories but with an additional turbulent component to the motion to account for atmospheric dispersion, the trajectory calculation will be explored next in more detail.