A Study of Tracer Distribution Parameter Estimation from Sparse Samples

Abstract

Abstract How do design parameters such as the spacing of sampling stations affect the quality of information obtained from atmospheric dispersion experiments? In large-scale experiments such as the Cross-Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPTEX) and the Across North America Tracer Experiment (ANATEX), the average crosswind spacing between surface sampling stations Δy may be of the same order as, or greater than, the tracer cloud width parameter σy. For such sparse samplings, investigated are the errors in estimating five parameters of the crosswind distribution of tracer dosage or concentration: the crosswind integrated dosage (M); the centroid coordinate (ȳ); the lateral dispersion parameter (σy); the skewness (S); and the kurtosis (K). These are examined as functions of the ratio of σy to Δy, the nonuniformity of station spacing, and the location of ȳ relative to the nearest sampling station. Tracer experiments are simulated with the Gaussian distribution model, as well as a non-Gaussian model consisting o...