Quantifying Methane Emission from Surface Sources using the Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Method

• Author / Creator

  Mahzabin, Tarana

• The subject of this thesis is the micrometeorological estimation of the rate of transfer (flux'') of gases from surface area sources to the atmosphere. More specifically, it is an investigation of a particular implementation of theinverse dispersion'' method (ID), whereby rather than measuring the wanted flux directly, one instead measures the gas concentration rise attributable to the source, and deduces the flux necessary to explain that measurement under the prevailing meteorological conditions. The ID method used here is called bLS'' forbackward Lagrangian stochastic'', a name which alludes to the type of meteorological model used to relate the flux (Q) to the concentration rise (C). The thesis will demonstrate the practicalities involved in implementing bLS to quantify methane emission both from well defined, homogeneous sources and also from inhomogeneous, scattered, and poorly delineated source areas on complex topography.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Methane Emission
  • WindTrax
  • Backward Lagrangian Stochastic Method

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3RX4H

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.