Gaussian Modeling of Tracer Concentrations During the Joint Urban 2003 Experiment

The Joint Urban 2003 experiments (JU2003) were conducted in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma during July 2003 to study wind and dispersion through a central urban district. A total of ten experimental sessions yielded a total of 29 half-hour releases of SF6, 17 during the daytime, 12 at night. Observations of tracer concentration were taken during JU2003 in dense networks arranged within 200 meters of the release point.

A simple Gaussian analytical model was employed to estimate the dilution of the plume as a function of the average travel time. This crude straight-line model does not account for plume meander caused by the buildings and therefore is not expected to provide accurate and consistent estimates of plume dilution. Nevertheless, the simple model does produce reasonable results and establishes a benchmark for more detailed model comparisons.

This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-Eng-48. Document reference number: UCRL-ABS-203408.