A comparison of operational Lagrangian particle and adaptive puff models for plume dispersion forecasting

Transport and dispersion of pollutants in the lower atmosphere are predicte d by using both a Lagrangian particle model (LPM) and an adaptive puff mode l (APM?) coupled to the same mesoscale meteorological prediction model PMET EO. LPM and APM2 apply the same numerical solutions for plume rise; but, fo r advection and plume growth, LPM uses a stochastic surrogate to the pollut ant conservation equation, and APM2 applies interpolated winds and standard deviations from the meteorological model, using a step-wise Gaussian appro ach. The results of both models in forecasting the SO2 ground level concent ration (glc) around the 1400 MWe coal-fired As Pontes Power Plant are compa red under unstable conditions. In addition, meteorological and SO, glc nume rical results are compared to field measurements provided by 17 fully autom ated SO2 glc remote stations, nine meteorological towers and one Remtech PA -3 SODAR, from a meteorological and air quality monitoring network located 30 km around the power plant. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved.