The LAPOST post-processor is launched by writing the on the same command line the executable name and the input file name:
lapost.exe lapost.inp under Windows, or ./lapost.x lapost.inp under Linux or macOS.
The main LAPOST input file, indicated as lapost.inp in the previous line, may actually have any name and path. The above example command assumes that the prompt is in the same folder where both the executable and the input file are. If executable and input file are in different positions, the whole paths must be specified. If paths and or names contain blank spaces, double quotes must be used.
The input file of the LAPOST processor (lapost.inp) may contain an arbitrary number of comments customizable by each user. The file must also contain the command lines, which must be written between a couple of exclamation marks. The position of the command lines within the input file is arbitrary, but their relative position must remain unchanged. The following table shows an example of LAPOST input file.
**********************************
*** LAPOST INPUT FILE ***
*** LAPOST Version 20161007 ***
**********************************
LAPOST is the LAPMOD postprocessor: it reads the binary concentration
file and calculates the statistical parameters of interest, or
extracts specific time intervals.
**************
*** OUTPUT ***
**************
All the output files and the log file will be written
in the following output directory (which must exist).
! OUTDIR = C:\out\ !
The log file will contain informative messages and
possible errors. Only the name is needed.
! LOGFIL = lapost.log !
The output file can be written as ASCII GRD files of SURFER,
or as ASCII ESRI GRD files.
! LESRI = F !
******************
*** PARAMETERS ***
******************
The following flag indicates where the processor is working.
IWINDOWS=1 for Windows; IWINDOWS<>1 for Linux/Unix.
! IWINDOWS = 1 !
LAPMOD binary output file with concentration values
! LAPBIN = lapmod.bin !
Multiplication factor to apply to the concentrations
! RMULT = 1.0 !
Species to extract. It must be contained within the LAPMOD
binary output file.
! SPECIES = NO2 !
SPECIES is not important to extract particles from their
binary file. For particles only the next group of input
variables (EXTRACTOR) is used. Output file format for
particles is always CSV.
*****************
*** EXTRACTOR ***
*****************
Each single hour can be extracted if IEXTR=1
The user must be aware that, potentially, thousands of file may be produced.
! IEXTR = 1 !
The first hour to extract is specified in XTRINI (YYYY MM DD HH)
! XTRINI = 2014 01 01 01 !
The last hour to extract is specified in XTRFIN (YYYY MM DD HH)
! XTREND = 2014 02 01 01 !
To extract all the output hours XTRINI must preceed, or be equal to, the first
output hour of LAPMOD and XTRFIN must follow, or be equal to, the last output
hour of LAPMOD.
The extraction procedure can be used for all the output variables,
not only concentrations. When LAPOST is used, for example, for dry deposition,
the processing for odours or percentiles have no meaninig, therefore they must
be deactivated by means of this input file.
The output file has always the following name: VVVV_SSS_YYYYMMDDhhmm.EXT where
- VVVV is the variable abbreviation (conc, tcon, ddep, tdep, wdep,ptcs)
- SSS is the species name (ANY when particles are extracted),
- YYYYMMDDhhmm is the date string,.
- EXT is the extension. It is CSV if the following variable LCSV is T,
otherwise it follows LESRI. For particles only CSV files are produced.
! LCSV = T !
*************
*** ODORS ***
*************
Logical flag which specifies if processing for odours
must be carried out.
If this flag is TRUE (T), it requires that IMH=1, and the
odour threshold must be specified in CMH.
! LODOR = T !
VPCT_D is the value of the percentile of episode duration
to be calculated. (Used only if LODOR = T and IMH = 1).
! VPCT_D = 50.00 !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with maximum
duration. (Used only if LODOR = T and IMH = 1).
Write NO as name if this file must not be produced.
! FOUT_MAXD = ODOR_maxd !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with the specified
percentile of durations. (Used only if LODOR = T and IMH = 1).
Write NO as name if this file must not be produced.
! FOUT_PCTD = ODOR_pctd_98 !
******************
*** PROCESSING ***
******************
-----------------------
--- 1 HOUR AVERAGES ---
-----------------------
Maximum 1 hour concentrations and percentile of 1 hour concentrations
will be calculated if IMH=1.
! IMH = 1 !
VPCT_MH is the value of the percentile of 1 hour concentrations
to be calculated. (Used only if IMH = 1).
! VPCT_MH = 99.79 !
Limit value of the 1h concentrations. Exceedances from this value
will be calculated. (Used only if IMH = 1).
! CMH = 200.0 !
Order of the hourly maximum to extract: 1 for extracting the first
hourly max in each cell; 2 to extract the second; etc.
(Used only if IMH = 1).
! IMAXH = 1 !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with maximum 1h
concentrations. (Used only if IMH = 1).
! FOUT_MAXH = max1h !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with the specified
percentile of 1h concentrations. (Used only if IMH = 1).
! FOUT_PCTH = pct1h !
------------------------
--- 24 HOUR AVERAGES ---
------------------------
Maximum 24 hour concentrations and percentile of 24 hour concentrations
will be calculated if IMG=1.
! IMG = 0 !
VPCT_MG is the value of the percentile of 24 hour concentrations
to be calculated. (Used only if IMG = 1).
! VPCT_MG = 99.18 !
Limit value of the 24 h concentrations. Exceedances from this value
will be calculated. (Used only if IMG = 1).
! CMG = 125.0 !
Order of the daily maximum to extract: 1 for extracting the first
daily max in each cell; 2 to extract the second; etc.
(Used only if IMG = 1).
! IMAXG = 1 !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with maximum 24h
concentrations. (Used only if IMG = 1).
! FOUT_MAXG = max24h !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with the specified
percentile of 24h concentrations. (Used only if IMG = 1).
! FOUT_PCTG = pct24h !
-------------------------------
--- 8 HOUR RUNNING AVERAGES ---
-------------------------------
Maximum 8 hour running averages will be calculated if IM8=1.
! IM8 = 0 !
Limit value of the 8 h running averages. Exceedances from this value
will be calculated. (Used only if IM8 = 1).
! CM8 = 10000.0 !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with 8 h running averages.
(Used only if IM8 = 1).
! FOUT_MAX8 = max8h !
-----------------------
--- ANNUAL AVERAGES ---
-----------------------
Annual averages will be calculated if IMA=1.
! IMA = 0 !
NAME (no path, no extension) of the output file with annual mean
concentrations. (Used only if IMA = 1).
! FOUT_YEAR = year !
The OUTDIR variable indicates the folder where all the output file will be written. The output folder must exist. The LOGFIL variable contains the name of the LAPOST log file; LAPOST writes in such a file several information, as for example a summary of the input variables and possible error messages.
The LESRI logical variable may assume only the values T for true and F for false. It specifies if the output files must be written in ASCII ESRI GRD format, importable in several GIS software, or in ASCII SURFER GRD format, that may be used with the Surfer software (TM Golden Software, Inc.). The output files are also written in CSV (comma separated values) format, and may be viewed in MS Excel.
The IWINDOWS variable indicates to LAPOST the operating system (1 for Windows, other values for Unix/Linux).
The LAPBIN variable indicates the path and name of the LAPMOD binary output file (containing concentrations, or depositions, or particles).
RMULT indicates the multiplication factor that will be applied to concentrations or depositions read from the LAPMOD binary output file. It allows getting the LAPOST output values in the desired units.
The SPECIES variable contains the name of the single species for which concentrations or depositions must be extracted. The species name is always capitalized from the processor. If such a species does not exist in the LAPMOD binary output file, LAPOST terminates with an error message. The maximum length of the species name is 16 characters, as in LAPMOD. A dummy species name can be used when extracting the particles (no checks will be done).
Variables IMH, IMG, IM8 and IMA indicate, when equal 1, if the maximum 1-hour concentrations, maximum 24-hour concentrations, maximum 8-hour running averages, and annual averages must be calculated. When one of these variables is not 1, all the processings referring to it (percentiles, number of exceedances, …) are not performed.
Variables VPCT_MH and VPCT_MG contain the percentile that must be used to calculate the corresponding concentrations, respectively for the 1-hour and 24-hour averages. Valid values for these two variables are all the real numbers within the interval (0,100), extremes excluded. For example, if VPCT_MH=98, the 98th percentile of the 1-hour averages will be calculated. Percentiles are calculated only if IMH or IMG are set to 1.
Variables CMH, CMG and CM8 contain, respectively, the limit values (or more generically thresholds) for the 1-hour, 24-hour and 8-hour-running averages. When one of these values is positive, LAPOST calculates the number of times that the corresponding average exceeds it. Non-positive values switch off the calculation of the exceedances.
Variables IMAXH and IMAXG indicate the order of the maximum that will be summarized within the log file, respectively for the 1-hour and 24-hour averages. For example, if IMAXH=5 then LAPOST writes in the log file the first five maximum 1-hour averages within the domain for each discrete receptor.
Variables FOUT_MAXH and FOUT_PCTH contain, respectively, the name, without path and extension, of the output files where 1-hour maximum values and percentiles will be written.
Variables FOUT_MAXG and FOUT_PCTG contain, respectively, the name, without path and extension, of the output files where 24-hour maximum values and percentiles will be written.
Variable FOUT_MAX8 contains the name, without path and extension, of the output file where the maximum values of the 8-hour running averages will be written.
Variable FOUT_YEAR contains the name, without path and extension, of the output file where the period averages (annual averages if the simulation is 1-year long) will be written.
The nuisance due to an odor depends on the FIDOL factors that are Frequency, Intensity, Duration, Offensiveness and Location. The FIDOL factors may be used to evaluate the potential impact of an odor-emitting activity.
Frequency indicates how many times an individual is exposed to an odor. Indeed, even a pleasant odor (one with a positive edonic tone) may be annoying when its frequency is too high. Highly fluctuating odors with low concentrations are more evident than an almost constant background odor. Then an high frequency is a negative factor.
Intensity indicates the odor strength, which is proportional to the base 10 logarithm of the odor concentrations (Steven law). Duration indicates the time length of an odor episode, that is, for how much time the concentration remains above the odor threshold. Offensiveness depends on character and edonic tone at a specific odor concentration. Some odors are universally known as offensive, as for example, rotten eggs or decomposing animal carcasses. Other odors may be offensive only for people exposed to them in an involuntary manner, for example in their houses. In those situation even pleasant odors, as for example those of coffe roasting or bakeries, may be judged as offensive.
Location is important because it indicates the type of land use and and the human activities carried out where the odor sources impact. The impact at sensible receptors (residential buildings, hospitals, schools, offices, restaurants, parks, etc.) must be carefully evaluated.
LAPOST allows to determine all the FIDOL factors, with the exception of offensiveness. In order to activate the odor processing the user must act on the following three variables in the main input file of LAPOST (lapost.inp):
In addition, the multiplicative factor RMULT must be correctly indicated. For example RMULT = 2.3 when LPEAK = FALSE in the main input file of LAPMOD.
Concerning the F factor, the number of exceedances of the odor threshold CMH is calculated as done for a normal pollutant. The intensity I is proportional to concentration, and is then represented by means of the maximum hourly concentration or, more often, with the 98th percentile of the peak concentration.
The duration D Is calculated by LAPOST for each point and each odor episode. The episode indicates the time for which concentration remains consecutively above the odor threshold. LAPOST determines also the number of exceedances episodes, which coincides with the number of exceedances only when each exceedance lasts for one hour. Variable VPCT_D, when positive and lower than 100, indicates the percentile to extract from the distribution of the episode lengths in each point. The maximum time length of an episode in each point is written within the file associated to FOUT_MAXD, while the time duration of the percentile specified in VPCT_D is written in the file associated to FOUT_PCTD. Those files are not created when their name is NO.
Offensiveness O, as anticipated, cannot be determined by LAPOST (and by any other mathematical model) because it depends on subjective evaluations.
The location L is determined by LAPOST because all the results are ossiciated to precise coordinates.
The particles of a specific time interval can be extracted from the LAPMOD binary file specifying IEXTR=1 in the LAPOST input file, the initial date of extraction in XTRINI and the final date of extraction in XTRFIN. The SPECIES has no effects on the particles extraction (the species name in the output files is always written as ANY).