Mixing layer growth and background air-quality measurements over the Colorado oil-shale area
The daily growth of convective boundary layers over the complex terrain of the oil shale areas of Colorado is a prominent feature of the meteorology of the region. The development of these layers was investigated using airsondes, rawinsondes, and aircraft. The deep growth of the layers in August, to heights in excess of 5500-m MSL on clear or partly cloudy days, is expected to have important implications for the dispersal of pollutants released in the region as the oil shale resource undergoes future development. Aircraft observations show that the present background air quality is good over the region and that pollutants, when present, become well mixed throughout the depth of the convective boundary layer. The layer therefore represents an important natural means of dilution for pollutants introduced into the atmosphere. Work is proceeding to incorporate the time-dependent convective boundary layer growth into air pollution models for the region.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5675062
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-9358; CONF-811104-11; ON: DE82007248
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: AMS conference on mountain meterology, Steamboat Springs, CO, USA, 10 Nov 1981
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
AIR QUALITY
MONITORING
BOUNDARY LAYERS
DISTRIBUTION
AERIAL MONITORING
AIR POLLUTION
ALTITUDE
COLORADO
CONVECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
METEOROLOGY
OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
TOPOGRAPHY
DATA
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
INDUSTRY
INFORMATION
LAYERS
MASS TRANSFER
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
POLLUTION
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
USA
500100* - Environment
Atmospheric- Basic Studies- (-1989)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
041000 - Oil Shales & Tar Sands- Environmental Aspects