Possible impact of fixed point sources of SO2 in NSW to the secondary sulfate measurements at Richmond and the dependence of the background secondary sulphate on meteorological variables.
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Date
2010-05-01
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Publisher
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Abstract
The contribution to secondary sulfate measurements at Richmond, Australia, from known point sources of SO2 is investigated using air mass back trajectories. The conditional probability function (CPF) shows that contribution for days of high sulfur is from areas north east of the site. This is an area where known point sources of SO2, such as coal fired power stations, are located. The meteorological conditions associated with high sulfur days are examined and an artificial neural network is employed to determine the relationship between meteorological variables and sulfur measurements after the influence of known point sources was removed. It is shown that temperature and humidity have a nonlinear positive correlation with sulphate measurements, while wind speed, mixing layer depth and rainfall have a negative nonlinear correlation. In addition, the time of day at which air masses reach Richmond from the eastern and western power stations varies, and so thus the altitude at which the power stations are crossed. The time of day, as well as the altitude at which an SO2 point source was passed, show an impact to the measured sulfate at Richmond, although the extent of this remains to be fully investigated.
Description
Keywords
Aerosols, Trajectories, Australia, Sulfates, Meteorology, Point sources
Citation
Crawford, J., Cohen, D., & Stelcer, E. (2010). Possible impact of fixed point sources of so2 in nsw to the secondary sulfate measurements at richmond and the dependence of the backgroung secondary sulphate on meteorological variables (ANSTO/E771). Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.