Thesis
Modelling airborne dispersion in the Collie basin
Honours, Murdoch University
2008
Abstract
Mesoscale airborne dispersion models are useful tools for predicting the impacts of pollutant gases from industrial emissions. This study uses the Com- monwealth Scienti¯c Industrial Research Organisation's The Air Pollution Model (TAPM) to predict sulphur dioxide (SO2) dispersion in the Collie basin, South West of Western Australia. TAPM, like most mesoscale models, poorly predict light winds (< 2ms¡1) under strongly stable atmospheric boundary layer condi- tions over complex terrain. This study alters TAPM deep soil moisture (DSM) initialisation and uses a strict spatial and temporal point and pattern sensitivity analysis and time relaxed ranked comparison approaches. It was found that mod- elled DSM did not signi¯cantly perturb TAPM meteorological outputs despite patterns indicating enhanced model performance against near surface predictions of temperature and wind direction. The DSM parameterisation resulted in im- proved prediction of highest and second highest SO2 ground level concentrations at the Collie monitoring site. The TAPM results reproduced aspects previous studies on the region and known limitations.
Details
- Title
- Modelling airborne dispersion in the Collie basin
- Authors/Creators
- Bradley Evans
- Contributors
- Tom Lyons (Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Honours
- Identifiers
- 991005541877807891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Environmental Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis
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