DRAFT


How to prepare FLEXPART input data?


How to run FLEXPART?

To run a FLEXPART simulation you need to use the FLEXPART Run icon.The simulation itself requires:

How to specify the FLEXPART executable?


How to define the SPECIES?

The species (chemical elements) released during a simulation are specified as integer numbers in the Release Species parameter in FLEXPART Run. The integer ID of the individual species are taken from the name of the species definition files.These have to be located in the directory defined

The species distributed with FLEXPART

Folder option/SPECIES in the FLEXPART distribution contains a default set of species definitions. Here each species is represented by a file called SPECIES_NNN , where NNN is the integer ID of the given species.The table below summarises what species are available:

FileDescription
FileDescription
FileDescription

SPECIES_001

TRACER
SPECIES_011NH3
SPECIES_021Xe-133

SPECIES_002

O3
SPECIES_012SO4-areo
SPECIES_022:CO
SPECIES_003NO
SPECIES_013SO4-areo

SPECIES_024

AIRTRACER
SPECIES_004NO2
SPECIES_014I2-13
SPECIES_025AERO-TRACER
SPECIES_005HNO3
SPECIES_015I-131


SPECIES_006HNO2
SPECIES_016Cs-137


SPECIES_007H2O2
SPECIES_017Y-91


SPECIES_008SO2
SPECIES_018Ru-106


SPECIES_009

HCHO

SPECIES_019

Kr-85


SPECIES_010PAN

SPECIES_020

Sr-90


At ECMWF 

The species are located in the directory specified by environment variable MV_FLEXPART_SPECIES. The contents of this directory is the same as that of folder option/SPECIES in the FLEXPART distribution.

At other sites

Instructions to setup the species path can be found here.

Using your own definitions

If you want create your own species definition you need make a copy of this directory and add your own species to it. Then set the path in User Species Path so that FLEXPART could pick up your definitions.


How to define the releases?

A release is defined with the FLEXPART Release icon. In our example the release is defined with iconshappens at a point between 1651 and 9000 m. The emitted mass is 100 kg.

The macro code,

rel_volcano = flexpart_release(
	name			:	"REL 1", 
	starting_date	:	0,
	starting_time	:	15,
	ending_date		:	2,
	ending_time		:	12,
	area			:	[63.63,-19.6,63.63,-19.6],
	top_level		:	9000,
	bottom_level	:	1651,
	particle_count	:	10000,
	masses			:	100
	)



 


The location of the FLEXPART executable and that of some other files/directories have to be specified for Metview. These locations can be defined either through a set of Metview environment variables or via parameters in the FLEXPART Run icon (these latter take precedence). The table below summarises what actually is needed to set for Metview.

 

The FLEXPART executableNeed to be built from FLEXPART sourceMV_FLEXPART_EXE_PATHUser Exe Path

The directory containing the following files:

  • IGBP_int1.dat
  • OH_7lev_agl.dat
  • surfdata.t
  • surfdepo.t

These files are distributed in the FLEXPART source inside folder option

MV_FLEXPART_RESOURCES_PATHUser Resources Path
The directory containing the species

A set of species are distributed in the FLEXPART source inside folder option/SPECIES

MV_FLEXPART_SPECIES_PATHUser Species Path

 


A case study

In this case study will run FLEXPART for an Icelandic volcano eruption happened in 2012.

Preparations

First start Metview; at ECMWF, the command to use is metview (see Metview at ECMWF for details of Metview versions). You should see the main Metview desktop popping up.

You will create some icons yourself, but some are supplied for you - please download the following file:

flextra_tutorial.tar.gz

and save it in your $HOME/metview directory. You should see it appear on your main Metview desktop, from where you can right-click on it, then choose execute to extract the files.

Alternatively, if at ECMWF then you can copy it like this from the command line:
    cp -R /home/graphics/cgx/tutorials/flexpart_tutorial ~/metview

You should now (after a few seconds) see a flexta_tutorial folder. You will work in this folder so open it up.

The input data

The input data is already prepared for you and is located in folder Data. The FLEXPART Prepare icon and its Macro equivalent can be found in the Prepare folder.


Run a forward simulation

The fwd_conc FLEXPART Run icon defines the forward simulation. It requires the release description that we define with the vol_release icon. The macro geas like this:

The macro code,

rel_volcano = flexpart_release(
	name			:	"REL 1", 
	starting_date	:	0,
	starting_time	:	15,
	ending_date		:	2,
	ending_time		:	12,
	area			:	[63.63,-19.6,63.63,-19.6],
	top_level		:	9000,
	bottom_level	:	1651,
	particle_count	:	10000,
	masses			:	100
	)


#Run flexpart (asynchronous call!)

r = flexpart_run(
	output_path	:	"result_fwd_conc",
	input_path	:	"../data",
	starting_date	:	20120517,
	starting_time	:	12,
	ending_date	:	20120519,
	ending_time	:	12,
	output_flux	:	"on",
	output_trajectory	:	"on",
	output_area	:	[40,-25,66,10],
	output_grid	:	[0.5,0.5],
	output_levels	:	[500,1000,2000,3000,4000,5000,7500,10000,15000],
	release_species	:	8,
	receptors	:	"on",
	receptor_names	:	["rec1","rec2"],
	receptor_latitudes	:	[60,56.9],
	receptor_longitudes	:	[6.43,-3.5],
	releases	:	rel_volcano
	)





Forward simultaions

Fields

Trajecories

receprotros

volume fill

fluxes

cross section

time-height diagram

total column

age class

backward simulation

residence time

fluxes

trajecory