Chapter 5.

Air Pollution Meteorology

Selami DEMİR
Asst. Prof.
Outline
 Introduction
 Solar Radiation
 Atmospheric Pressure
 Lapse rate & Potential Temperature
 Atmospheric Stability
 Coriolis Force & Gravitational Force
 Pressure Gradient Force
 Overall Atmospheric Motion
 Equations of Motion
 Wind Speed Profile
21.02.23 S. Demir 2
Introduction (1/2)

 Air pollutant cycle

 Emission
 Transport, diffusion, and transformation
 Deposition
 Re-insertion

 In large urban areas, there are several concentrated

pollutant sources
 All sources contribute to pollution at any specific site
 Determined by mainly meteorological conditions
 Dispersion patterns must be established
 Need for mathematical models and meteorological input data
for models
21.02.23 S. Demir 3
Introduction (2/2)

 Three dominant dispersion mechanisms

 General mean air motion that transport pollutants downwind
 Turbulent velocity fluctuations that disperse pollutants in all
directions
 Diffusion due to concentration gradients

 This chapter is devoted to meteorological fundamentals for

air pollution modelling

21.02.23 S. Demir 4
Solar Radiation (1/6)

 Solar constant  8.16 J/cm2.min

 0.4-0.8 µ  visible range, maximum intensity

Ref:
http://www.globalwarmingart.com/image
s/4/4c/Solar_Spectrum.png

21.02.23 S. Demir 5
Solar Radiation (2/6)

 Distribution of solar energy on earth

Ref: OpenLearn Web Site,

http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/1697/t206b1c01f26.jpg

21.02.23 S. Demir 6
Solar Radiation (3/6)

 At right angle on June, 21  Tropic of cancer

 At right angle on December, 21  Tropic of capricorn
 At right angle on March, 21 and september, 21  Equator

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Earth-lighting-equinox_EN.png

21.02.23 S. Demir 7
Solar Radiation (4/6)

 Example: What is the Sun’s angle over Istanbul on June, 21? Note
that Istanbul is located on 40° N latitude.
 Solution: Sunlight reaches Tropic of Cancer (23° 27′) at right angle
on June, 21.
  90  L2  L1 
Where
θ = Sun’s angle at the given latitude
L2 = Latitude of given region
L1 = Latitude of region where sunlight reaches surface at right
angle
 
  90  40  23 27 '  73 27 '
21.02.23 S. Demir 8
Solar Radiation (5/6)

 Example: What is the Sun’s angle over a city located on 39° N

latitude when the sunlight reaches surface at right angle on 21° S
latitude?
 Solution:

  90  L2  L1 
 
  90  39   21   30

21.02.23 S. Demir 9
Solar Radiation (6/6)

 Homework (due 18.04.2008)

 Make a brief research on Stefan-Boltzman Law and write a one
page report for your research.
 Comment on what would happen if earth’s inclination were 24°
instead of 23°27′.
 What determines the seasons? Why some regions of earth get
warmer than other regions.
 Calculate the sunlight angle over Istanbul
 on March, 21
 on June, 21
 on September, 21
 on December, 21

21.02.23 S. Demir 10
Atmospheric Pressure (1/4)

 Force on earth surface due to the weight of the atmosphere

 Defined as force exerted per unit surface area
 Units of measurement  Pascal (Pa), atmospheric pressure
unit (apu, atm), newtons per meter-squared (N/m2), water
column (m H2O), etc.
 1 atm = 101325 Pa
 1 atm = 10.33 m H2O
 1 atm = 760 mm Hg
 1 Pa = 1 N/m2
 Atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1 atm

21.02.23 S. Demir 11
Atmospheric Pressure (2/4)

 Consider a stationary air parcel as shown

 Force balance (assuming no horizontal
pressure gradient)
   
 
 F  FNet  PA  P  P A  G
 0  P  P A  PA  mg
 AP   mg   Vg   ghA   gAh
 P   gh
P  P 
   g  lim    lim  g 
h h 0 h
  h0
dP
   g
dh
21.02.23 S. Demir 12
Atmospheric Pressure (3/4)

 Integrating from h = z0 to h = z produces

dP PM A
  g ; 
dh RT
dP PM A dP M
  g   A gdh
dh RT P RT
P z  z
dP MA


P  z0 
P 

z0
RT
gdh

 MA 
 Pz   Pz0 exp  g z  z0 
 RT 

21.02.23 S. Demir 13
Atmospheric Pressure (4/4)

 Homework (due 18.04.2008)

 Make a research about pressure measurement devices and
prepare a one-page report for your research. Give brief
explanations for each type.
 Calculate the atmospheric pressure on top of Everest if it is
1013 mb at sea level.

21.02.23 S. Demir 14
Lapse Rate & Potential Temperature (1/5)

 Adiabatic  no heat exchange with

surroundings
 Consider an air parcel moving
upward so rapidly that it
experiences no heat exchange with
surrounding atmosphere
 Enthalpy change:
where
H  H 2  H1
H1 = initial enthalpy of air parcel
H2 = final enthalpy of air parcel
U1 = initial internal energy
U2 = final internal energy
V1 = initial volume
V2 = final volume

21.02.23 S. Demir 15
Lapse Rate & Potential Temperature (2/5)

 By enthalpy’s definition  Enthalpy change is a

H  U  pV 2  U  pV 1 function of only temperature
H  U  pV when pressure is constant
 In infinitesimal expression dH  dQ  Vdp  C p dT
dH  dU  d  pV   dU  Vdp  pdV  Substituting differential
 Internal energy substitution pressure as follows:
dH  d Q  W   Vdp  pdV dQ  gVdh  C p dT
 By internal energy definition  Since the process is
dH  dQ  pdV  Vdp  pdV  dQ  Vdp adiabatic, no heat exchange
occurs
 gVdh  C p dT

dT gV C
   0.98
dh Cp 100m
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Lapse Rate & Potential Temperature (3/5)

 This approximation assumed there is no phase change in

the air parcel
 called Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate (DALR)
 If any phase change takes place during the motion, the
temperature change will be far more different from DALR
 Called Saturated (Wet) Adiabatic Lapse Rate (SALR, WALR)
 Variable, must be calculated for each case
 Also significant in some cases; this course does not focus on it
 For standardization purposes, Standard Lapse Rate (SLR),
also known as Normal Lapse Rate (NLR), has been defined
 On average, in middle latitude, temperature changes from 1°C
to -56.7°C
 SLR = -0.66°C/100 m

21.02.23 S. Demir 17
Lapse Rate & Potential Temperature (4/5)

 Lapse rate measurements are taken by a device called

Radiosonde
 Results of measurements are plotted to obtain Environmental
Lapse Rate (ELR)
 ELR is real atmospheric lapse rate
 Another significant concept is Potential Temperature
 Defined as possible ground level temperature of an air parcel
at a given altitude
  T p  T  DALR * H
where
θ = Tp = potential temperature of air parcel
T = Temperature of air parcel
H = Height of air parcel from ground
DALR = Dry adiabatic lapse rate
21.02.23 S. Demir 18
Lapse Rate & Potential Temperature (5/5)

 Homework (due 18.04.2008)

 Calculate potential temperature for given data
Height, m Temperature, °C
350 8
750 2
1200 14

 Calculate the atmospheric temperature at 800 m from the

ground if the atmosphere shows adiabatic characteristic and
the ground level temperature is 12°C.

21.02.23 S. Demir 19
Atmospheric Stability (1/8)

 If ELR < DALR Then

 Superadiabatic meaning unstable

 ElseIf ELR = DALR Then

 Neutral
 ElseIf DALR < ELR < 0 Then
 Subadiabatic meaning stable (weakly stable)

 ElseIf DALR < 0 < ELR Then

 Inversion meaning strongly stable
 EndIf

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Atmospheric Stability (2/8)

 Superadiabatic

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Atmospheric Stability (3/8)

 Neutral

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Atmospheric Stability (4/8)

 Subadiabatic

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Atmospheric Stability (5/8)

 Inversion

21.02.23 S. Demir 24
Atmospheric Stability (6/8)

 If dθ/dz < 0 Then

 Superadiabatic

 ElseIf dθ/dz = 0 Then

 Neutral
 ElseIf dθ/dz > 0 Then
 Subadiabatic

 EndIf

21.02.23 S. Demir 25
Atmospheric Stability (7/8)

 Example: Calculate vertical temperature gradient and comment on

atmospheric stability condition if the atmospheric temperature at
835 m is 12 °C when the ground temperature is 25 °C.
 Solution:
dT Taloft  Tground 12  25  C 
C 
C
ELR     0.0156  1.56
dz z 835  0 m m 100m
The atmosphere is said to be unstable since ELR < DALR

21.02.23 S. Demir 26
Atmospheric Stability (8/8)

 Homework (due 25.04.2008)

 Following measurements are taken over Istanbul at different
times. Determine atmospheric stability condition for each case.
Temperature, °C
Height,
m Case 1 Case 2 Case 3 Case 4

0 14 22 17 4
1000 8 8 7 6
 Briefly explain stable air, unstable air, neutral air and inversion.
 Make a brief research about the role of atmospheric stability in
dispersion of pollutants in the atmosphere and prepare a-one-
page report for your research.
 What is conditional stability? Explain.

21.02.23 S. Demir 27
Coriolis Force

 “The Coriolis effect is an apparent deflection

of moving objects from a straight path when
they are viewed from a rotating frame of
reference. Coriolis effect is caused by the
Coriolis force, which appears in the equation
of motion of an object in a rotating frame of
reference.” (Wikipedia Web Site,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coriolis_Force)

 
FCoriolis  2m v x

 
  
f coriolis 
FCoriolis
m
 2 v x  

21.02.23 S. Demir 28
Gravitational Force (1/3)

 The force exerted by the earth on an object in earth’s attraction

range
 Caused by attraction forces between two masses
  FA = attraction force
m1m2 r
FA   3
γ = 6.668*10-11 Nm2/kg2
r m1,m2 = objects’ masses
r = distance bw masses
 m1 being the mass of earth (M) and m2 is that of an object near
earth surface 
   
Mmr FG Mr
FG   3
 fG   3
r m r
 N
 f G  9.81
kg

21.02.23 S. Demir 29
Gravitational Force (2/3)

 Example: Determine the acceleration of an object near the Erath’s

surface due to gravitational attraction force
 Solution:
2
11 Nm 24
  6. 668 * 10 * 5 .9736 * 10 kg
Mr kg 2
 1000m 
fG   3   3
*  6360km * 
r  1000m   1km 
 6360km * 
 1km 
 m
f G  9.85 2
sec

21.02.23 S. Demir 30
Gravitational Force (3/3)

 Homework (due 25.04.2008)

 Determine the acceleration of an object near the Martian surface
due to gravitational attraction force
 Determine the acceleration of an object near the Moon’s surface
due to gravitational attraction force

21.02.23 S. Demir 31
Pressure Gradient Force

 Consider an air parcel accelerating in a horizontal direction



FF Net  PA  P  P A

FPX  PA

 FPX PA PA P
f PX    
m m V x
 1 P
f PX  
 x
 In three dimensional representation,
 1 P
f PY   
 y 1 

f P   P
f PZ  
1 P 
 z

21.02.23 S. Demir 32
Overall Atmospheric Motion (1/7)

 Consider an air parsel accelerating around the Earth

 Overall acceleration
   
a Net  aPG  aG  a f
 
 1 Mr 
a Net   P   3  a f
 r
 
df df  
Note :   xf
dt fixed dt rotating
 
    

a Net fixed

dV
dt

dV
dt rotating
   
 2 xV  x xr
fixed

21.02.23 S. Demir 33
Overall Atmospheric Motion (2/7)

 Neglecting vertical terms and re-arranging, we get

 1 P  1 P 
V  i j
f y f x
 1 P
u 
f y u = velocity of atmospheric motion in east-
west direction
 1 P
v  v = velocity of atmospheric motion in north-
f x south direction
f  2Sin Ω = rotational speed of earth = 7.29*10-5 r/s
Φ = latitude on which the motion occurs

21.02.23 S. Demir 34
Overall Atmospheric Motion (3/7)

 Example: Briefly explain the mechanisms that forced radioactive

pollutants towards Turkey’s coasts after Chernobyl. Tell about the
meteorological conditions then. Show the pressure centers and
wind patterns on the day of accident and two day after the accident
on a brief map. Consider the aspects of geostrophic winds.

21.02.23 S. Demir 35
Overall Atmospheric Motion (4/7)

 Solution

21.02.23 S. Demir 36
Overall Atmospheric Motion (5/7)

 Example: Isobars are shown in the figure below, for 40° latitude in the
Northern Hemisphere, at an altitude of 5600 meters. Determine the
geostrophic wind speed in km/hour

500 mb

180 km

504 mb

 Temperature at 5600 m : -28°C

 Coriolis force: 2 Ω V sin β
 Ω= 7.3 x 10-5 radians/s; β= Latitude degrees ; V= geostrophic
wind speed
 1 mb = 100 N/m3
21.02.23 S. Demir 37
Overall Atmospheric Motion (6/7)

 Example:Suppose a nuclear accident occurs at a place

of 3,000 km west of Istanbul. Radioactive pollutants are
pumped above the planetary boundary layer (PBL) with
the power of explosion. On the day of nuclear accident,
the radiosonde data taken at different places of Europe
shows that atmospheric pressure is decreasing towards
north at a rate of 0.0015 N/m3 and this pattern is valid
for the whole Europe. Will the radioactivity affect
Istanbul? If yes, when? Note that Istanbul is located on
40° northern latitude and world’s angular speed of
rotation is 7.3 * 10-5 radians/sec. You may assume the
density of air at the level where geostrophic wind
equations apply as 0.70 kg/m3.
21.02.23 S. Demir 38
Overall Atmospheric Motion (7/7)

 Solution

21.02.23 S. Demir 39
Equations of Motion (1/3)

 Eularian Approach
 The observer stays stationary and observes the change in the
value of a function f (concentration, atmospheric parameters,
etc.)
 The coordinate system (reference frame) is stationary
 The objective is moving

 Lagregian Approach
 The observer moves with the moving objective and observes
the change in the value of a function f
 The coordinate system is moving with the objective at the same
speed and direction

21.02.23 S. Demir 40
Equations of Motion (2/3)

 Lagregian Approach (cont’d)

f 
df  dt  Vf
t
df f f dy f dy f dy
   
dt t x dt y dt z dt
df f f f f
  u v w
dt t x y z

21.02.23 S. Demir 41
Equations of Motion (3/3)

 Examples will be given later…

21.02.23 S. Demir 42
Wind Speed Profile (1/2)

 Due to friction near surface, wind speed increases with height

exponentially
 Wind speed is measured by a device called anemometer
 10 m should be chosen for anemometer height
p
 z 
u z   u 10m   Stability Class P
 10  A 0.15
B 0.15
C 0.20
D 0.25
E 0.40
F 0.60

21.02.23 S. Demir 43
Wind Speed Profile (2/2)

 Homework (due 25.08.2008)

 Calculate wind speeds for Class B stability at 20, 30, 50, 100,
200, and 500 m if it is 1.2 m/sec. Plot the results.
 Comment on how the wind speed would change with altitude if
the stability class were Class E.

21.02.23 S. Demir 44