Abstract for presentation at 14th IUAPPA World Congress

Meteorological data are one of the most important inputs in air dispersion modelling. As meteorological data are not readily available in Australia, modellers are increasingly turning to prognostic models such as The Air Pollution Model (TAPM), developed by the CSIRO, to generate site-specific information. Regulatory authorities have expressed concern, however, regarding the adequacy of TAPM data when used with Gaussian plume models, such as AUSPLUME, which are typically used for routine air quality impact assessments.
This paper compares measured meteorological data with those generated by TAPM. Three years' of continuous meteorological data were obtained from three locations in the Hunter Valley Region of NSW, Australia, representing coastal and inland areas. Meteorological data were then generated by TAPM for these locations using computational grid resolutions ranging from 300 m to 30 km. The wind speed and stability classes of the measured and predicted data were compared using techniques accepted by NSW regulatory authorities for the routine assessment of meteorological data validity. Results of the comparison have implications for the use of prognostic meteorological data in routine dispersion modelling.