Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Numerical study of mesoscale transport of air pollutants in sea-breeze circulations

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7328175

A numerical model is presented that was used to examine the development of mesoscale airborne pollutant distributions during the evolution of sea-breeze circulations. Observational studies which have examined the effect of lake/sea-breeze flows on mesoscale pollutant distributions were conducted for a Chicago lake breeze event and for sea-breeze flows over Long Island. The observational studies showed that lake/sea-breeze circulations have a pronounced influence on the mesoscale distribution of pollutants. The general effect appears to be that of material being transported aloft in the ascending air within the lake/sea-breeze front or convergence zone and lake or seaward by the upper return flow layer. Also, descending air in the return flow layer may recirculate material back into the inflow layer over a period of several hours, in a manner suggested by the helical trajectory observed with an optically-tracked tetroon balloon. (CH)

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
E(30-1)-16
OSTI ID:
7328175
Report Number(s):
BNL-21415; CONF-761003-6
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English