The role of wind field, mixing height and horizontal diffusivity investigated through two lagrangian particle models

Two Lagrangian particle models, APOLLO and MILORD, were used to simulate the first ETEX experiment. The role played by wind field, mixing height h and horizontal diffusivity K_H appeared to be the most important aspects to be studied. The sensitivity to the accuracy of the input advection field was studied through the application of APOLLO using different ECMWF data sets differing in space and time resolution and in being forecasted or analysed, corresponding to the real-time, emergency-like condition, and to the a posteriori benchmark simulation. The role of h and K_H was investigated by running both APOLLO and MILORD with different parameterisations, and comparing the model results between them and with the available observations.The model evaluation was carried out through a set of statistical indexes computed on three hourly average concentrations paired in space and time and time-integrated concentrations. It was found that the quality of the input wind field plays a major role in predicting with sufficient accuracy the plume position and extension after the first 24 h from the beginning of the release. The best-model results are obtained with large values of K_H (in the range of 2.5×10⁴–4.5×10⁴ m² s^-1), which confirms the need to enhance the horizontal diffusion, in order to include the advection fluctuations unresolved by large-scale meteorological fields. A fixed value of h in the range 1000–1500 m seems to be more efficient than space and time variable h computed with standard algorithms. A reasonable explanation for this result is given, based on the consideration that in the long range, particles diffuse also in the residual layer above the stable nocturnal boundary layer.