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U.S. Department of Energy
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Estimating diffusion coefficients from meteorological data

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5612223· OSTI ID:5612223
Meteorological data for four different time series were collected to compare direct and indirect methods for selecting stability categories used to determine coefficients in the calculation of downwind air concentrations from releases of atmospheric contaminants. The data set includes wind velocity and temperature observations between 2 and 335 m from the WJBF-TV Tower near Beech Island, South Carolina, and surface weather observations at Bush Field Airport, Augusta, Georgia. The direct method based on the standard deviations of horizontal and vertical wind direction, sigma/sub theta/ and sigma/sub phi/, provides the best estimates of the true stability category. Three indirect methods based on the vertical temperature gradient, surface weather observations, and the Richardson number were evaluated with these estimates. 18 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs.
Research Organization:
Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (USA). Savannah River Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-76SR00001
OSTI ID:
5612223
Report Number(s):
DP-MS-76-64; ON: DE85012563
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English