Title: Daytime ventilation conditions in Buenos Aires city, Argentina

Authors: Ana Graciela Ulke

Addresses: Departamento de Ciencias de la Atmosfera y los Oceanos, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellon II, Piso II, Ciudad Universitaria, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract: From routinely available observational data, the daytime ventilation conditions in Buenos Aires city have been studied. The climatological behaviour was analysed. The study included the effects of local conditions, such as the coastal location, the urban features and the influence of air humidity on the characteristic parameters of the dispersive capability of the atmosphere. The frequencies of occurrence of daytime ventilation factors and related stability conditions were obtained. There is a relatively high probability for reduced daytime ventilation in winter. The most frequent daytime stability conditions in all ventilation factor ranges and seasons are the near-neutral and the slightly unstable atmospheric conditions. The frequencies of occurrence of reduced ventilation conditions are higher if humidity is not included, except during winter, when differences are nearly absent. Humidity inclusion produces an increase of the mean ventilation factors, especially in the warm season. Statistical tests have been applied to analyse the departures for significance. In some situations, the influence of humidity is large enough to obtain a statistically significant response

Keywords: air pollution potential; mixing height; urban air pollution; ventilation factor; Buenos Aires; Argentina; air pollution climatology; air humidity; pollutant dispersion.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2004.005676

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2004 Vol.22 No.4, pp.379 - 395

Published online: 18 Nov 2004 *

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