Full Scale Plume Tracer Study at Nevada Power Plant

U.S. EPA's Full Scale Plume Study collected data on atmospheric pollutant dispersion from the Tracy Power Plant near Reno, Nevada in August 1984. The study comprises 14 experiments over 128 hours, resulting in a tracer concentration database of over 11,000 hourly samples. It was conducted by the EPA's Complex Terrain Model Development Program.

Use Cases

• Model dispersion of SF6 and CF3Br tracer gases using meteorological data from a 150-m tower, including wind components from tri-axial propeller anemometers at six levels.
• Analyze relationships between tracer concentrations from 110 sampling sites and temperature sensor readings at six levels on the meteorological tower.
• Validate atmospheric models using the over 11,000 hourly tracer concentration samples collected during late evening and early morning hours.
• Study plume behavior in complex terrain by correlating data from two vertical doppler acoustic sounding systems and tethersonde soundings with stack emissions.

Strengths

• Database contains over 11,000 hourly tracer concentration samples.
• Meteorological data includes multi-level measurements from a 150-m tower with six levels of wind and temperature sensors.
• Study design includes 14 experiments conducted over 128 hours of data collection.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, collected during a single month in 1984.
• Geographic scope is limited to the specific terrain around the Tracy Power Plant in Nevada.
• Sample data and specific column schema are unavailable for review.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Complex Terrain Model Development Program, via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Field experiment involving tracer gas release from a power plant smokestack and a meteorological tower, with sample collection at 110 sites and gas chromatographic analysis.

Time Range

August 6 to 27, 1984.

Freshness

Data collection ended on 1984-08-27; no updates are expected.

Geography

Tracy Power Plant near Reno, Nevada, USA, focusing on the surrounding complex terrain.