WRPLOT View & “Some” Wind Rose Uses
Glenn Gehring, Technology Specialist III
Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center
glenn.gehring@nau.edu
541-612-0899
http://www.weblakes.com/download/freewar
e.html
No Headers
except LAKES
FORMAT in
cell A1.
Save as tab
delimited text
file
Work your data
so it only has
the wind data
from your
desired
concentrations
in the correct
format. Make a
Lakes Format
text file. Then
import to
WRPLOT View
NOx Pollution Rose
Wind data from approximately
the highest 10% recorded NOx
concentrations at the CTUIR
monitoring project in
Hermiston were imported into
WRPLOT View generating this
pollution rose.
Of these highest 10%,
concentrations ranged from 25
to 130 ppb with 14 hours at
100 ppb or higher and 146
hours at 50 ppb or higher. The
mean was 40.3 ppb for these
concentrations.
Notice the southerly
winds. What “stuff” is in
that direction that emits
NOx?
Note: winds don’t typically go in straight lines for long distances – they curve around
pressure systems and surface features. Wind roses aren’t typically useful to identify
transport sources, but are very useful to identify problem sources near the monitor.
Monitor
Railroad facility
Wal-Mart
Distribution
Center
This stuff
There are vast
open areas
south of
Hermiston, but
there are also
agricultural
sources south of
the airport.
Note: Ammonia is used as a fertilizer and can impact NOx analyzers under certain circumstances. I looked at these
data to see if the high concentrations centered around dates farmers typically fertilize. They didn’t. There are many
methods used to help identify problem sources. Wind roses are only part of the whole process.
Wind roses can help identify potential modeling issues
NCAR Meteorological
Observations Database
-3 2 0
-3 6 0
-4 0 0
L C P N o rth in g (k m )
T u ls a
-4 4 0
-4 8 0
O k la h o m a C ity
-5 2 0
-5 6 0
L a w to n
Slide source:
Update on 8-Hour Ozone
Early Action Compact
Modeling for Oklahoma
presentation, presented
at: Oklahoma Ozone
Modeling/SIP Protocol
Meeting, October 2,
2003, by ENVIRON
International Corporation
(red circle is mine)
-6 0 0
-6 4 0
-6 8 0
120
160
200
240
280
320
360
L C P E a s tin g (k m )
400
440
480
Daily Max 8-Hour Ozone August 16, 1999
m ax = 98 PPB
m in = 5 2 P P B
-3 0 0
-3 5 0
100
88
-4 0 0
77
90
81
76
80
-4 5 0
70
81
-5 0 0
77
60
80
50
-5 5 0
40
Slide source:
Update on 8-Hour Ozone Early
Action
Compact Modeling for
Oklahoma presentation,
presented at: Oklahoma
Ozone Modeling/SIP Protocol
Meeting, October 2, 2003, by
ENVIRON International
Corporation
(red circle is mine)
76
-6 0 0
0
-6 5 0
79
150
200
75
250
77
300
350
400
450
500
Daily Max 8-Hour Ozone August 17, 1999
m ax = 95 PPB
m in = 5 6 P P B
-3 0 0
-3 5 0
100
94
-4 0 0
93
90
83
80
80
-4 5 0
70
84
-5 0 0
81
60
86
50
-5 5 0
Slide source:
Update on 8-Hour Ozone Early
Action Compact Modeling for
Oklahoma presentation,
presented at: Oklahoma
Ozone Modeling/SIP Protocol
Meeting, October 2, 2003, by
ENVIRON International
Corporation
40
82
-6 0 0
0
-6 5 0
88
99
93
(red circle is mine)
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Daily Max 8-Hour Ozone August 19, 1999
m ax = 85 PPB
m in = 4 4 P P B
-3 0 0
-3 5 0
49
100
53
-4 0 0
52
90
61
57
80
-4 5 0
70
54
-5 0 0
54
60
54
Slide source:
Update on 8-Hour Ozone Early
Action Compact Modeling for
Oklahoma presentation,
presented at: Oklahoma
Ozone Modeling/SIP Protocol
Meeting, October 2, 2003, by
ENVIRON International
Corporation
50
-5 5 0
40
63
-6 0 0
0
-6 5 0
65
72
78
(red circle is mine)
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
NOx & VOC Sources, Ozone Precursors
Emission Source Symbols are Proportional, Larger Dots Emit More
These two met sites are
near the Arkansas River. Is
this river effect?
Prevailing Winds (Annual Average)
Ft. Smith & Stilwell, Winds and
Sources
Is this river
effect? If so,
and it is used
in the model
does it skew
the model
output?
Ozone season wind rose
Most Relevant Winds for Ozone
WIND ROSE PLOT
Station #13968 - TULSA/INT'L ARPT, OK
Tulsa Ozone Season Wind Rose,
Lines Indicate the Direction the Wind Came FROM,
and Colors Indicate Wind Speed
NORTH
(1984-1992, March 1 to October 31, from 8 AM to 6 PM)
25%
N
20%
15%
10%
5%
E
W
WEST
EAST
S
MODELER
Wind Speed (m/s)
> 11.06
8.49 - 11.06
5.40 - 8.49
3.34 - 5.40
1.80 - 3.34
SOUTH
DATE
COMPANY NAME
1/20/2004
DISPLAY
UNIT
Wind Speed
m/s
AVG. WIND SPEED
CALM WINDS
5.20 m/s
3.17%
ORIENTATION
PLOT YEAR-DATE-TIME
COMMENTS
PROJECT/PLOT NO.
Enter 5-years of wind data then specify
days (ozone season months) and time if
you want to see daytime winds during
the ozone season
The hardest part is getting data into the proper format to input
it into WRPLOT View. Good spreadsheet and database skills
help as there are many shortcut methods that make it easier,
but it is still a task. Even so, sometimes it is well worth the
effort if you are interested in better understanding your air
quality issues. And, in my honest opinion, understanding your
air shed is a critical step in improving air quality.
Please feel free to contact me if you want assistance.