Lakes AERMOD View

 

Lakes AERMOD View is the most advanced air dispersion modeling software for regulatory air quality analysis, implementing the US EPA’s AERMOD model (the preferred regulatory dispersion model). Developed by Lakes Environmental, AERMOD View provides a comprehensive environment for defining emission sources, meteorological conditions, complex terrain, and advanced dispersion scenarios. Version 2026 v13.0 continues the software’s legacy as the gold standard for environmental impact assessments (EIA), air quality permitting, and atmospheric dispersion studies. Whether assessing air quality impacts from new industrial facilities, evaluating fuel or capacity changes, or conducting short-term and long-term pollutant analyses, AERMOD View delivers the precision, compliance, and advanced visualization that environmental professionals demand.

???? Primary Users

This professional air dispersion modeling software is designed for:

  • Air Quality & Environmental Engineers assessing pollutant dispersion from industrial sources, power plants, and refineries.

  • Environmental Consultants & EIA Specialists preparing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for regulatory compliance.

  • Industrial Facility Managers & HSE Professionals evaluating emission impacts and permitting requirements.

  • Regulatory Agencies & Government Bodies reviewing air quality permit applications and compliance monitoring.

  • Academic Researchers & Atmospheric Scientists conducting advanced dispersion modeling studies

 

 

⚡ Key Features & Capabilities

????️ Advanced Air Dispersion Modeling

Full AERMOD Implementation:

  • US EPA preferred regulatory dispersion model

  • Complex terrain algorithms (flow separation, cavity zone)

  • Building downwash (Plume Rise Model Enhancements – PRIME)

  • Urban vs. rural dispersion coefficients

  • Calm wind and low wind speed processing

Emission Source Types:

  • Point Sources: Stacks with variable heights, diameters, temperatures, exit velocities

  • Volume Sources: Open pits, storage piles, fugitive emissions

  • Area Sources: Landfills, storage tanks, industrial complexes

  • Line Sources: Roads, conveyor belts, flare lines

  • Elevated Sources: Flares, multiple-level releases

???? Meteorological Data Processing

AERMET Meteorological Pre-processor:

  • NCDC (National Climatic Data Center) / ISH data import

  • Surface and upper-air data processing

  • Profile generation (wind speed, direction, temperature, turbulence)

  • Cloud cover and solar radiation estimation

  • Seasonal and annual averaging periods

Data Sources:

  • ASOS, AWOS, METAR, RAOB

  • On-site meteorological tower data

  • MM5, WRF, and other prognostic model outputs

  • User-defined meteorological profiles

????️ Terrain & Land Use Processing

AERMAP Terrain Pre-processor:

  • Digital Elevation Model (DEM), SRTM, and USGS terrain data import

  • Complex and simple terrain classification

  • Hill height and receptor elevation calculation

  • Terrain influence on pollutant dispersion

Land Use:

  • Land cover classification (urban/rural for each sector direction)

  • Albedo, Bowen ratio, surface roughness length

  • Seasonal land use variation for accurate plume rise

???? Building Downwash Simulation

  • Full PRIME (Plume Rise Model Enhancements) implementation

  • Building geometry input (rectangular, L-shaped, clustered)

  • Automated downwash calculations (GEP stack height)

  • Cavity zone and recirculation region modeling

  • Good Engineering Practice (GEP) stack height verification

????️ Receptor Grid & Network Design

Receptor Options:

  • Cartesian (rectangular) grid with variable spacing

  • Polar (radial) grid for point source analysis

  • Discrete receptors (individual buildings, sensitive receptors)

  • Elevated receptors (terrain-following or absolute height)

Multi-Tiered Grids:

  • Coarse grid for regional coverage

  • Fine grid near sources for maximum concentration capture

  • Nested grids for facility fenceline analysis

???? Advanced Output & Visualization

Contour Mapping:

  • Concentration isopleths (annual, seasonal, daily, hourly)

  • Deposition (dry/wet/total) mapping

  • Multiple pollutants overlay

  • 3D plume visualization and fly-through animations

Time Series & Exceedances:

  • Percentiles, averaging periods (1-hour, 8-hour, 24-hour, annual)

  • NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards) exceedance analysis

  • PSD (Prevention of Significant Deterioration) increment tracking

Professional Reporting:

  • US EPA regulatory compliant output tables

  • Customizable map layouts with north arrow, scale, legend

  • High-resolution graphics for EIA reports

  • Shapefile / KML export for GIS integration

???? Model QA/QC & Sensitivity

Model Control Options:

  • Debug output for model validation

  • Sensitivity analysis (vary emission rates, stack parameters)

  • Scenario comparison (baseline vs. proposed, fuel change, control options)

  • Batch processing for multiple scenarios

Quality Assurance:

  • Runtime monitoring and error logging

  • Model-to-model comparison (AERMOD vs. CALPUFF)

  • Compliance with US EPA Good Engineering Practice (GEP)

⚡ Multi-Scenario & Batch Management

  • Define, save, and compare multiple assessment plans

  • Batch run for multiple emission scenarios

  • Compare baseline (existing) vs. proposed (new) case

  • Fuel switching, capacity increase, pollution control addition

???? What’s New in Version 2026 v13.0

  • AERMOD Implementation Update – US EPA 2025 regulatory model updates (PRIME, building downwash, low wind speed)

  • Ventilation Coefficient Analysis – New for nuisance dust and open pit mines (quarries, aggregate)

  • Multi-CPU Parallel Processing – 4× faster batch simulation (multiple wind sectors, receptors, years)

  • Live Weather Feed – Direct ASOS/AWOS (SQL/API) for real-time forecasting

  • Google Earth Output – Native KMZ with concentration contours and 3D plume stacks

  • EMI (Emission Inventory) – Direct .emi import from facility emission inventory databases

  • Python API – Scriptable for automated modeling, reporting, and sensitivity runs

  • 3D Viewport – Real-time volume rendering (plume in terrain/building downwash)

???? Specialized Applications

???? EIA & Environmental Permitting

  • New industrial facility (cement, steel, petrochemical, refinery, power plant)

  • Fuel switching (coal-to-gas, biomass, hydrogen co-firing)

  • Capacity increase / production rate change

⚡ Power Generation

  • Natural gas combined cycle (NGCC), coal (scrubbed/IGCC)

  • Biomass, waste-to-energy, solar thermal

  • Cooling tower drift, mercury, PM2.5/PM10, SO₂, NOx, CO

????️ Oil & Gas Midstream/Downstream

  • Flare stack (upgraded/emergency) and fugitive VOC/BTEX

  • Compressor stations and dehydration units

???? Urban Air Quality

  • Roadway/vehicle (CO, NOx, PM2.5, air toxics)

  • Bus depots, transit centers, port/drayage

???? Quarry & Aggregate (Fugitive Dust)

  • Drill/blast, load-out, crusher/screen, stockpile

  • Haul road (unpaved), wind erosion