A numerical simulation of the distribution of acid precipitation in Chongqing area of China

A numerical model for the study of the regional acid precipitation is developed. The model consists of five parts: the distribution patterns of SO2 concentration, the mesoscale flow fields, the parameteriza-tion of SO2, transformation into SO4=, the parameterization of precipitation scavenging process, and the relationship between SO2 content in precipitation and ground level concentration of SO2 in the air. The distribution of SO2, SO2= and pH for all precipitations in Chongqing area during the period of July to October 1982 are simulated with the model. A comparison of the simulated results with experimental data shows that high SO2 concentration centres correspond to low pH centres. The source of the acid rain in Chongqing area is local air pollution which is due to the lower effective stack height, low wind velocity in the area, basin topography, and the use of coal with high sulphur content. The mechanism for the formation of the acid precipitation here may be different from that in the United States of America and the Western Europe, where acid rain appears in the area far from pollution source.