ABSTRACT
The atmosphere is often classified in terms of temperature. Starting at the earth's surface and moving upward, temperature generally decreases with increasing altitude. This region, termed the troposphere, is of most interest to meteorologists because it is where weather and air pollution problems occur. The meteorological elements that have the most direct and significant effects on the distribution of air pollutants in the atmosphere are wind speed, wind direction, solar radiation, atmospheric stability, and precipitation. The effects of wind on the distribution of air pollutants in the atmosphere involve understanding the scales of air motion, wind rose, and turbulence. A wind rose is a set of wind statistics that describes the frequency, direction, force, and speed. The air motion provides the most effective mechanism to disperse or dilute a cloud or plume of pollutants. Turbulence is induced in air flow in two ways: thermal turbulence and mechanical turbulence.
