Boundary Layers and Air Quality in Mountainous Terrain

In this chapter, the general problem of air pollution in mountainous terrain is discussed. Terrain effects on the spatial distribution and temporal variability of air pollutants are described including specific effects encountered in stable- and convective boundary layers and under dynamically driven conditions. The uses of numerical models, scale models, and observational studies are described as tools for understanding air pollution in mountainous terrain. Specific integrated regional studies of air pollution conducted in the Lower Fraser Valley, Canada and in the Upper Rhine Valley, Germany are used to illustrate the terrain effects. The chapter concludes with a discussion of approaches to forecasting air pollution in mountainous terrain.