Regional dispersion characteristics of dust from large-scale open-pit coal mines in China driven by WRF-AERMOD and WRF-CALPUFF.

High-resolution WRF-AERMOD modeling accurately predicts dust dispersion from large-scale open-pit coal mines, with the best scenario achieving R = 0.78 and IOA = 0.76.

• Why it matters: Understanding dust transport in remote mining areas is crucial for environmental protection and public health, but limited upper-air meteorological data hampers regional dispersion studies.
• What they did: A multi-scale coupled modeling framework integrating WRF with AERMOD and CALPUFF was developed and applied to simulate dust dispersion around the Haerwusu Mine in 2021, evaluating four scenarios against field data.
• The result: The approach effectively captures dust transport patterns, with most pollution confined within 5 km of the mine, complying with national air quality standards, and offering a practical tool for pollution assessment and control.