Projects & Programs
DUSTRAN - Atmospheric Dust Dispersion Modeling System
Activities at U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) training/testing ranges can be sources of dust into local and regional air sheds governed by air quality regulations. Dust-generating activities include vehicle and troop maneuvers, convoy movement, helicopter activities, munitions impacts, and roadway preparations. Other sources of particulates include the use of smokes and obscurants, controlled burns, and engine operations. To address particulate air quality, we began a research project, funded by DoD's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) to develop a fully tested and documented atmospheric dust dispersion modeling system. It would be used by military staff to assess training/testing range contributions to local and regional air quality, to help manage dust-generating activities, and to help develop dust mitigation strategies. The dust dispersion modeling system must be robust, state-of-the-art, user-friendly, and most importantly, must meet the needs of staff responsible for addressing air quality issues from activities at military training/testing ranges.