Critical review of four types of air quality models pertinent to MMS regulatory and environmental assessment missions. Final report

This report provides comparative information on several air quality models that might be used for four distinct purposes: Regional-scale Dispersion Models, Lagrangian Trajectory Models, Toxic Release Models, and Steady-state Gaussian Models. For each model reviewed, information is provided for each of 20 categories or attributes that describe the model`s underlying science and credibility, ease of use, computational requirements, cost, availability, and computer language and interface. In addition to narrative information, each model is numerically rated for 17 of the 20 categories, leading to a ranking of candidate models suitable for the four purposes mentioned.