Air Pollution

METEOROLOGY

What is atmospheric thermodynamics?

What are the variables of atmospheric
thermodynamics?
What is lapse rate?
What is atmospheric stability and the various
methods that define atmospheric stability?
What are the effects of meteorology on
plume dispersion?
What is wind velocity profile?
What is wind rose diagram and what are the
uses of it?
Determination of mixing height.

Air Pollution
Meteorology

Atmospheric thermodynamics

Atmospheric stability

Effect of meteorology on plume dispersion

Atmosphere

Pollution cloud is interpreted by the chemical

composition and physical characteristics of the
atmosphere
Concentration of gases in the atmosphere varies from
trace levels to very high levels
Nitrogen and oxygen are the main constituents. Some
constituents such as water vapor vary in space and
time.
Four major layers of earths atmosphere are:

Troposphere
Stratosphere
Mesosphere
Thermosphere

Atmospheric
Thermodynamics
A

parcel of air is defined using the state variables

Three important state variables are density, pressure
and temperature
The units and dimensions for the state variables are
Density
(mass/volume)

gm/cm3

ML-3

Pressure (Force/Area)

N/m2 ( Pa )

ML-1T-2

Temperature

F, o R, o C, o K

Humidity is the fourth important variable that

gives the amount of water vapor present in a

Lapse Rate:

Lapse rate is the rate of change of

temperature with height
Lapse rate is defined as = -T
z
Value of varies throughout the
atmosphere

Atmosphere Stability
The

ability of the atmosphere to enhance or to resist

atmospheric motions

Influences

the vertical movement of air.

If

the air parcels tend to sink back to their initial level after the
lifting exerted on them stops, the atmosphere is stable.

If

the air parcels tend to rise vertically on their own, even when
the lifting exerted on them stops, the atmosphere is unstable.

If

the air parcels tend to remain where they are after lifting
stops, the atmosphere is neutral.

Atmospheric Stability

The stability depends on the ratio of

suppression to generation of turbulence

The stability at any given time will depend

upon static stability ( related to change in
temperature with height ), thermal
turbulence ( caused by solar heating ), and
mechanical turbulence (a function of wind
speed and surface roughness).

Atmospheric Stability

ALR < DALR Then

Superadiabatic meaning unstable

ALR = DALR Then

Neutral

DALR < ALR < 0 Then

Subadiabatic meaning stable (weakly stable)

DALR < 0 < ALR Then

Inversion - meaning strongly stable

Atmospheric Stability

Superadiabatic

Atmospheric Stability

Subadiabatic

Atmospheric Stability

Inversion

Atmospheric Stability

Atmospheric stability can be determined

using adiabatic lapse rate.
> d

Unstable

= d

Neutral

< d

Stable

is environmental lapse rate (ambient lapse rate)

d is dry adiabatic lapse rate (1 0c/100 m) and dT/dZ = -1 0c /100 m

Pasquill-gifford Stability
Categories
Nighttime cloud
cover

Daytime Insolation
Surface Wind
Speed (m/s)
Strong

Moderat
e

Slight

Thinly
overcast or
4/8 low cloud

3/8

<2

A-B

2-3

A-B

3-5

B-C

5-6

C-D

>6

Source: Met Monitoring Guide Table 6.3

Sigma Theta stability

classification
CATEGORY

PASQUILL CLASS

SIGMA THETA (ST)

EXTREME UNSTABLE

ST>=22.5

MODERATE UNSTABLE

22.5>ST>=17.5

SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE

17.5>ST>=12.5

NEUTRAL

12.5>ST>=7.5

SLIGHTLY STABLE

7.5>ST>= 3.8

MODERATE STABLE

3.8>ST>=2.1

EXTREMELY STABLE

2.1>ST

Source: Atmospheric Stability Methods & Measurements (NUMUG - Oct 2003)

Temperature Difference
(T)

Source: Regulatory guide; office of nuclear regulatory research- Table 1

Fig. 12-12, p.333

Altitude

Temperature Inversion

Pollution trapped
below inversion

Temperature

Temperature
Inversion

Inversions
Inversion: when a layer of the atmosphere
has an inverted temperature profile;
temperature increases with altitude
Highly stable layer of air
Suppresses vertical movement of air
Pollution accumulates within or below
inversion

19

Application: Stability
Stability is a measure of the tendency for air to move vertically.
Emission plumes can be an estimator of the stability
Vertical mixing influences ground level concentrations.

Fanning
stable

Looping
unstable
Coning
neutral
Fumigation
elevated inversion
Lofting
ground inversion

20

Application: Stability
Stability is a measure of the tendency for air to move vertically.
Emission plumes can be an estimator of the stability
Vertical mixing influences ground level concentrations.

Fanning
stable

Looping
unstable
Coning
neutral
Fumigation
elevated inversion
Lofting
ground inversion

21

Turbulence

Fluctuations in wind flow which have a

frequency of more than 2 cycles/ hr

Types of Turbulence

Mechanical Turbulence
Convective Turbulence
Clear Air Turbulence
Wake Turbulence

Wind Velocity

A power law profile is used to describe

the variation of wind speed with height
in the surface boundary layer
U = U1 (Z/Z1)p
Where,
U1 is the velocity at Z1 (usually 10 m)
U is the velocity at height Z.

Stability
Rural
p following
Urban table.
p
The values
ofClass
p are given
in the
Very Unstable

0.07

0.15

Neutral

0.15

0.25

Very Stable

0.55

0.30

Beaufort Scale

This scale is helpful in getting an idea on

the magnitude of wind speed from real life
observations

Atmospheric
condition
Calm

Wind speed

Light breeze

5 mph

Gentle breeze

10 mph

Leaves in constant motion

Strong
Violent storm

25 mph
60 mph

Large branches in motion

Wide spread damage

< 1mph

Comments
Smoke rises vertically
Wind felt on face

Wind Rose Diagram

(WRD)

Wind Direction (%)

Wind Speed (mph)

Wind Rose Diagram

(WRD)

WRD provides the graphical summary of

the frequency distribution of wind direction
and wind speed over a period of time
Steps to develop a wind rose diagram from hourly
observations are:

Analysis for wind direction

Determination of frequency of wind in a given wind
direction
Analysis for mean wind speed
Preparation of polar diagram

A Wind Rose

Calculations for Wind Rose

% Frequency =
Number of observations * 100/Total Number
of Observations
Direction: N, NNE, ------------------------,NNW,
Calm
Wind speed: Calm, 1-3, 4-6, 7-10, -----------

Determination of Maximum
Mixing Height

Steps to determine the maximum mixing height

for a day are:

Plot the temperature profile, if needed

Plot the maximum surface temperature for the day on
the graph for morning temperature profile
Draw dry adiabatic line from a point of maximum
surface temperature to a point where it intersects the
morning temperature profile
Read the corresponding height above ground at the
point of intersection obtained. This is the maximum
mixing height for the day

Determination of Maximum
Mixing Height

Power plant Plumes

Power plant Plumes