Modelisation de l'influence meteorologique sur la formation des sulfates atmospheriques en Belgique

Abstract The study of the formation processes of atmospheric sulfates is a complex theoretical problem in view of the large number of variables intervening in the process and the close links between these variables. A possible approach is the introduction of acceptable simplifications within well-determined limits in order to isolate and study the influences of a reduced number of parameters. It has been calculated using factor analysis to what extent local sources can be ignored and the Belgian territory can be considered as being uniformly exposed to the same amount of sulfate deposition. A simple empirical model permits us to demonstrate the effect of meteorological parameters, in particular wind direction, temperature and atmospheric stability. The model uses the three meteorological parameters and deliberately ignores ambient temporal and spatial variations in SO 2 . As tests on the data collected over a period of one year produced very encouraging results, the model can be the base for a more elaborate study of the formation processes of sulfates in our regions.