Abstract
The development of the CSIRO Lagrangian Atmospheric Dispersion Model, LADM, represents a major advance in assessing air pollution impacts. LADM is a synthesis of practical implementations of current scientific knowledge of boundary-layer meteorology, dynamical meteorology in complex geographical regions, plume dynamics, turbulent dispersion in thermally unstable and stable conditions and photochemical smog kinetics. The most startling result from the application of LADM in coastal regions in several studies is the prevalence of recirculations of pollutants back over the emission region later in the day or even during the following day, perhaps then as smog. These and other results are illustrated by recent Australian studies. Most recently, LADM has been extended to permit prediction of dry deposition. Now, dry deposition estimates for complex conditions are possible.
Highlights
Air pollution modelling is the key methodology used in Environmental Impact Assess ments (EIAs) that per1nits investigation of the relationships between existing and proposed changes in emissions and their effect on ambient air quality in a region
CSIRO scientists have made several advances in air pollution meteorology and chemistry. These have been incorporated into a new numerical paradigm called LADM the Lagrangian Atmospheric Dispersion Model (Physick et al, 1991, 1992, 1994)
The most natural description of dispersion is to follow different particles emitted from the pollutant sources and to derive the dispersion from the statistics of particle locations at any instant. This is the Lagrangian description of turbulent dispersion (Sawford, 1993) and is the method employed in LADM-the motion of notional particles of pollutant from the sources under study is described using a random-walk technique applied in the calculated turbulent wind field
Summary
Air pollution modelling is the key methodology used in Environmental Impact Assess ments (EIAs) that per1nits investigation of the relationships between existing and proposed changes in emissions and their effect on ambient air quality in a region. Ail audit by Buckley (1991, 1992) of 181 testable predictions in Australian EIAs dated to 1982 showed that over 40% of actual impacts were more severe than predicted, that the predictions where the actual impacts were more severe were on average less accurate than those where they proved less severe, and that these more severe impacts had a much larger range than the less severe im pacts These errors surely must be due primarily to inappropriate assessment methodologies and, modelling. LADM is rapidly finding acceptance as an advanced air quality planning tool It has revolutionise the way that EIAs are able to address air pollution impacts in ter1ns of accuracy, site- and. After a brief consideration of some of the problems of modelling for EIAs, this paper will introduce LADM and describe its strengths and limitations
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