Automated data system for emergency meteorological response

Conference · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:4139108

Kern, C. D.

The Savannah River Plant (SRP) releases small amounts of radioactive nuclides to the atmosphere as a consequence of the production of radioisotopes. The potential for larger accidental releases to the atmosphere also exists, although the probability for most accidents is low. To provide for emergency meteorological response to accidental releases and to conduct research on the transport and diffusion of radioactive nuclides in the routine releases, a series of high-quality meteorological sensors have been located on towers in and about SRP. These towers are equipped with instrumentation to detect and record temperature and wind turbulence. Signals from the meterological sensors are brought by land-line to the SRL Weather Center-Analysis Laboratory (WC-AL). At the WC-AL, a Weather Information and Display (WIND) system has been installed. The WIND system consists of a minicomputer with graphical displays in the WC-AL and also in the emergency operating center (EOC) of SRP. In addition, data are available to the system from standard weather teletype services, which provide both routine surface weather observations and routine upper air wind and temperature observations for the southeastern United States. Should there be an accidental release to the atmosphere, available recorded data and computer codes would allow the calculation and display of the location, time, and downwind concentration of the atmospheric release. These data are made available to decision makers in near real-time to permit rapid decisive action to limit the consequences of such accidental releases. (auth)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.
• NSA Number: NSA-33-002551
• OSTI ID: 4139108
• Report Number(s): DP-MS--75-83; CONF-750967--3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*METEOROLOGY-- DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
*RADIOISOTOPES-- DIFFUSION
*SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT-- RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
*SURFACE AIR-- RADIATION MONITORING
550300* --Biomedical Sciences
Basic Studies--Cytology
COMPUTERS
DISPLAY DEVICES
ENVIRONMENT
N80600* --Mathematics & Computers
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RECORDING SYSTEMS
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
TURBULENCE
WIND