Stochastic model of atmospheric regional transport

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6003805

Small, M J

The problems of acid precipitation and regional-scale ambient sulfate pollution have motivated the development of computer models to evaluate the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants. In this study a mathematical trajectory model utilizing stochastic meteorological inputs is developed to assess the long-range transport of atmospheric sulfur in the eastern US and Canada. The receptor-oriented Atmospheric Contributions to Interregional Deposition (ACID) model is developed, and model components, parameterizations, and simulations are described. Difficulties with observed trajectory and precipitation inputs, such as missing data in particular geographic regions, provide the motivation for simulating representative stochastic meteorological inputs for the model. A first-order, two-dimensional autoregression equation is used to generate an ensemble of atmospheric trajectories. A Markov chain model is used to simulate (Lagrangian) precipitation along trajectories. A cogeneration method for trajectores and precipitation is developed to account for observed relationships between wind fields and precipitation. A modified ACID model, referred to as STOCHACID is implemented with the synthetic trajectory and precipitation fields. An extensive model validation is performed using observed ambient sulfate and precipitation sulfur data from a number of monitoring sites in eastern North America. The comparisons are generally successful. Shortcomings are noted, however, suggesting the need to include a cloud-rainout component and more complex chemical processes in future versions of the model.

• OSTI ID: 6003805
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACID RAIN
AIR POLLUTION
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CANADA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EQUATIONS
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METEOROLOGY
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RAIN
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
SIMULATION
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
TRAJECTORIES
USA
VALIDATION