TY - JOUR
T1 - Contribution of atmospheric processes to the degradation of air quality
T2 - case study (Sohar Industrial Area, Oman)
AU - Al-Khadouri, Abdullah
AU - Al-Yahyai, Sultan
AU - Charabi, Yassine
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Saudi Society for Geosciences.
PY - 2015/3
Y1 - 2015/3
N2 - The impact of the air pollution generated by any industrial activities may be further aggravated if the location of the industrial area is exposed to certain atmospheric characteristics. Under such conditions, the likelihood of accumulation of local air pollution is high. This paper uses two approaches (statistical and numerical simulation) to investigate the contribution of atmospheric processes towards degradation of air quality. A case study of the two approaches was conducted over Sohar Industrial Area in the Sultanate of Oman. Measured wind data were used to account for specific atmospheric characteristics such as stagnation, ventilation, and recirculation using the statistical approach. In the second approach, numerical weather prediction model was used to simulate mesoscale circulation phenomena such as sea breeze and its contribution to the processes affecting the air quality. The study demonstrates that the atmospheric processes appear to contribute substantially to the degradation of air quality in the Sohar Industrial Area. The statistical analysis shows that the atmospheric dilution potential of Sohar Industrial Area is prone to stagnation and recirculation, rather than ventilation. Moreover, model simulation shows that there is a seasonal variation in the contribution of atmospheric processes to the degradation of the air quality at Sohar Industrial Area.
AB - The impact of the air pollution generated by any industrial activities may be further aggravated if the location of the industrial area is exposed to certain atmospheric characteristics. Under such conditions, the likelihood of accumulation of local air pollution is high. This paper uses two approaches (statistical and numerical simulation) to investigate the contribution of atmospheric processes towards degradation of air quality. A case study of the two approaches was conducted over Sohar Industrial Area in the Sultanate of Oman. Measured wind data were used to account for specific atmospheric characteristics such as stagnation, ventilation, and recirculation using the statistical approach. In the second approach, numerical weather prediction model was used to simulate mesoscale circulation phenomena such as sea breeze and its contribution to the processes affecting the air quality. The study demonstrates that the atmospheric processes appear to contribute substantially to the degradation of air quality in the Sohar Industrial Area. The statistical analysis shows that the atmospheric dilution potential of Sohar Industrial Area is prone to stagnation and recirculation, rather than ventilation. Moreover, model simulation shows that there is a seasonal variation in the contribution of atmospheric processes to the degradation of the air quality at Sohar Industrial Area.
KW - Air quality
KW - Recirculation
KW - Sea breeze
KW - Sohar Industrial Area
KW - Stagnation
KW - Ventilation
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U2 - 10.1007/s12517-014-1295-0
DO - 10.1007/s12517-014-1295-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84893675585
SN - 1866-7511
VL - 8
SP - 1623
EP - 1633
JO - Arabian Journal of Geosciences
JF - Arabian Journal of Geosciences
IS - 3
ER -