Forecasting long-range atmospheric pollutant transport and diffusion: Approaches and issues

Journal Article · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:436813

Griggs, D P; Addis, R P ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)

The ability to forecast the transport and diffusion of airborne contaminants over long distances is vital when responding to nuclear emergencies. Increases in computing capabilities and ready access to large-scale model output make it possible to employ advanced three-dimensional prognostic models to forecast the long-range transport of toxic or radioactive gases for emergency response. The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) or the U.S. Department of Energy`s Savannah River site demonstrated this during the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX). ETEX, conducted in the fall of 1994, is designed to evaluate the performance of models for long-range atmospheric pollutant transport and dispersion. ETEX involved two tracer experiments as well as a multinational real-time modeling exercise. The real-time modeling component tested the ability of participants to provide timely long-range forecasts of the tracer plume transport and diffusion. Notification of the time, location, and amount of tracer occurred after the start of the release. Participants provided 60-h forecasts of tracer surface concentration within 6 h of being notified and updated forecasts every 12 h thereafter. The two tracer experiments were conducted near Rennes, France, on October 23, 1994, and November 14, 1994.

• OSTI ID: 436813
• Report Number(s): CONF-9606116--
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 74; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
DIFFUSION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FORECASTING
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
POLLUTANTS