Abstract
We report estimations of the Mexicali Valley (Mexico) mixing height for three seasons. Surface and upper air meteorological measurements were carried out nearby Cerro Prieto geothermal power plant during July 2010 (summer), January 2012 (winter), and October 2016 (autumn). Four different methods were applied to estimate the convective boundary layer (CBL) height from radiosonde (RS) profiles: the parcel method, the gradients method, the least-squares variational approach based on the slab model of the CBL structure, and a covariance method. For nocturnal conditions, we used diagnostic models based on friction velocity and Monin–Obukhov length. Under unstable conditions, we obtained (on average) mixing heights of 497 m at 06:00 LST, 1242 m at 12:00 LST, 1404 m at 15:00 LST, and 482 at 18:00 LST during summer; 754 m at 12:00 LST during winter; and 1195 m at 12:00 LST and 13:00 m between the 14:00 and 15:00 LST during the autumn. The results allowed adjusting a semiempirical model to evaluate mixing height from turbulent sensible heat flux and friction velocity data. Our results provide practical tools that could facilitate the application of regulatory dispersion models to assess air quality in the region.
Highlights
IntroductionIt involves factors that play essential roles in the region, both in the economic development and the environment, such as landfills, cement and smelting industries, agricultural burning, and power plants nearby [1–4]
Pollution in the Mexicali Valley (Mexico) is not a simple phenomenon
The identification procedures are as follows: (a) Virtual potential temperature: The convective boundary layer (CBL) height is estimated to be the level of the maximum (a) Virtual potential temperature: The CBL height is estimated to be the level of the maximum vertical gradient of virtual potential temperature, which is characteristic of a transition from a vertical gradient of virtual potential temperature, which is characteristic of a transition from a convectively less stable region below to a more stable region above. [20,23,26]
Summary
It involves factors that play essential roles in the region, both in the economic development and the environment, such as landfills, cement and smelting industries, agricultural burning, and power plants nearby [1–4]. Prieto geothermal power plant, which is the primary source of energy in the state of Baja California (BC, Mexico), is frequently considered as the principal source of pollution in the region. The environmental impact of the geothermal plant is controversial, with divergent opinions from the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), scholars, and social sectors [5–8]. Air quality impact assessment is an essential activity for determining the relative contribution to ground-level pollutant concentrations of specific current or future source emissions at receptor sites. Its main tools are air quality monitoring and modeling techniques. Air pollution models play a pertinent role in risk analysis, emergency planning, and source apportionment studies
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