Preliminary results from the Los Alamos TA54 complex terrain Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS)
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW) disposal site at TA54, Area G la located on a mesa top amidst a complex terrain of finger like mesas typically 30 motors or more In height above canyons of widths varying from 100 to 300 motors. Atmospheric dispersion from this site is of concern for routine operations and for potential Incidents during waste retrieval operations. Indian lands are located In the dominant downwind direction within 500 m from the site and provide further incentive to understand the potential and actual impacts of waste disposal operations. The permanent network of meteorological towers at LANL have been located primarily at mesa-top locations to coincide with most laboratory facilities and as such do not resolve the effects of channeling in the canyons and the influence this has on potential surface releases. An Atmospheric Transport Study (ATS) was initiated to better understand the wind flow fields and dispersion from the LANL Waste Storage and Disposal facilities at TA-54, Area G. As part of this effort, a series of six portable meteorological towers were sited in the vicinity of Area G, two at mesa top locations, one just east of the site where the mesas have dissipated to mild ridges, and three in the canyons adjacent to the disposal site mesa as indicated on the topographic representation of the local terrain. Since 1994, the towers have collected horizontal wind velocities, pressure, temperature, relative humidity and a radiation gamma reading every fifteen minutes. The data bass is being analyzed for trends and to provide a basis for comparison to computational modeling efforts to predict the flow fields.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 125177
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-95-3004; CONF-960127-2; ON: DE96000027
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 9. joint American Meteorological Society/Air and Waste Management Association conference on applications of air pollution meteorology, Atlanta, GA (United States), 28 Jan - 2 Feb 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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