Concentration fluctuation measurements in a plume dispersing in a stable surface layer

A set of tracer experiments studying concentration fluctuations in a pollutant plume dispersing near the surface in a stably stratified nocturnal boundary layer is described, and the results are compared with those obtained in near-neutral stability conditions by Mylne and Mason (1991). The results highlight the importance of slow meandering of the plume which is characteristic of stable conditions. This meandering makes it impossible to conduct experiments under near-stationary conditions, resulting in considerable statistical variability in the results, but is important in reducing time-averaged concentrations. Spectral characteristics of the plume and general fluctuation statistics are qualitatively similar to those in near-neutral stability, but there are significant quantitative differences. Fluctuation time scales are shown to be substantially longer under stable conditions. This difference cannot be fully explained by the reduced windspeed alone, indicating that the length scale of plume elements is also longer. Some of the differences observed in stable conditions, particularly the longer time scales, are shown to substantially increase the potential hazard due to fluctuations in practical applications. A conceptual model of plume dispersion is described, which explains the observed plume structure under different conditions by relating it to the turbulent velocity spectra.