ISAT v2.0: an integrated tool for nested-domain configurations andmodel-ready emission inventories for WRF-AQM

The ISAT (Inventory Spatial Allocation Tool) v2.0 is anintegrated tool that has been developed to configure nested domains,downscale regional emission inventories, allocate local emissioninventories, and generate model-ready emission inventories for the WeatherResearch and Forecasting (WRF)-Air Quality Numerical Model (AQM). The toolconsists of four modules, namely "Prepgrid", "Downscale", "Mapinv",and "Prepmodel", which are designed to perform specific tasks. ThePrepgrid module utilizes a nested-domain configuration algorithm basedon WRF-AQM nested rules and the target domain shapefile. The Downscale module establishes a "sub-grid nearest" method to downscale the regionalemission inventory based on spatial surrogate, thereby improving theaccuracy and computational efficiency of the process. The Mapinv moduleallocates a user-defined regional- and/or city-level emission inventory to gridlevel based on the target domain shapefile and the spatial surrogate.Finally, the Prepmodel module generates the model-ready inventories byintroducing unique user-friendly emission sector IDs using abbreviations andspeciation profiles based on species in the emission inventory and chemicalmechanisms, which is available for both the CMAQ and CAMx models. The ISATv2.0 tool provides a user-friendly solution for model users to configure andrun WRF-AQM. And it provides a framework and related algorithms forresearchers to develop similar tools for WRF-AQM.