2.3. Pollutant Dispersion Behavior

Try these first

1. 1.

   What defines unstable atmospheric conditions?

   Hint

   Think about how wind influences air movement.

2. 2.

   Name a type of plume behavior.

   Hint

   Consider the shapes created by pollutant dispersion.

3. 3.

   What happens to pollutants in unstable atmospheric conditions?

   • They accumulate
   • They disperse upwards
   • They remain stagnant

   Hint

   Think about movement during high winds.

4. 4.

   True or False: In fanning conditions, pollutants can disperse significantly vertically.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   What does fanning mean in terms of height?

5. 5.

   If the environmental lapse rate is measured at -6°C/km and the dry adiabatic lapse rate is -9.8°C/km, calculate the mixing height.

   Hint

   Use the rate of temperature change to establish the intersection point.

6. 6.

   Discuss the potential health impacts in urban areas during winter inversion layers, outlining how fanning and fumigation might occur.

   Hint

   What happens when pollutants cannot disperse away?