Measured Plume Dispersion Parameters Over Water. Volume 1.
Abstract
The Minerals Management Service sponsored a series of four atmospheric tracer experiments at California coastal locations over a two-year span, 1980-1982. These experiments were designed to assess air pollution impact from proposed oil exploration and drilling activities along the continental shelf. Two experiments (winter and summer) at each of two sites (open coast and Santa Barbara Channel) were funded in order to investigate air quality impact under a range of meteorological conditions and sites. The basic designs of all four experiments were similar. A tracer gas, 100% SF6, was continuously released from a stationary, sea surface platform located, for the majority of the experiments approximately 3 miles from shore. During parts of the last experiment, the platform was moved to distances up to 5 miles from shore. This volume analyzes the collected data. The tracer plume is characterized by a variety of parameters, including the conventional hourly averaged sigma-y and sigma-z values widely used in Gaussian plume dispersion formulae. Gaseous dispersion is parameterized for the over-water case by classifying the tracer results by stability in a Pasquill-Gifford equivalent scheme, and analytically describing horizontal and vertical plume growth as a function of plume travel distance. Several other over-water data sets are used in this parameterization. Comparisons are made to the over land case.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA148632
Entities
People
- C. E. Skupniewicz
- Gordon E. Schacher
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School