Write short note on air pollution modelling.
Answers
Air pollution modelling is the term used to describe using mathematical theory to understand, or predict the way pollutants behave in the atmosphere.
Modelling can be used to run scenarios, to test theories and understand environmental impact under different emission rates, weather and development scenarios. There are lots of different methods and techniques, but the goal is always the same – make an assessment of pollutant impact over a given area using an existing set of data. To do this we make some assumptions, we use some rules, and we add some data.
An assumption is something we assume to hold true in all model conditions. So we assume that the atmosphere behaves in a predictable way, and that plumes behave in a known way.
We use some rules: like emission factors or emission rates – these are things we know – like the volume and composition of an emission
source, or the reactions emissions undergo in the atmosphere. Finally we add some data – most commonly meteorological and terrain data.