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bility. Now, in addition to the intensity of mixing, the slope of the principal mixing surface also must be specified, This introduces another

degree of freedom in specifying the transport processes, Reed*® has
offered a method for determining the slope.

The second approach is to allow a purely meteorological generalcirculation model to generate, insofar as possible, the turbulent mixing
and organized circulations. The current model of the Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory of the Weather Bureau is such an example. It is
expected that the radiotungsten will be inserted in the stratosphere at

its source in this model and then transported by the turbulent and organized circulations. In this way, the likelihood that the air motions

generated by the computer approximate reality may be tested. If they
do transport the tracer to a realistic distribution and if they subsequently provide good patterns for other substances like ozone, cosmic-

ray radionuclides, and “C, an increasing confidence in the reality of
the independently determined transport processes and their magnitudes
may be gained.

So far it cannot be said that the prediction of any of the meteorological models is preferred over that obtained from empirical meth-

ods. However, it is likely that there will be such a preference ina
matter of a few years. If, as ishoped, a single model can reproduce the
major features of the distributions of both artificial and natural tracers,
the predictions of such a model will undoubtedly be correct in the mean.

Only the year to year differences from the mean picture might then
presentdifficulties.

MOST IMPORTANT FALLOUT-FORECASTING NEEDS
Given an injection of contaminants at any arbitrary point in the at-

mosphere, how well can one predict its subsequent history? This forecast, with reasonable accuracy, is the central need in mostpollution
problems,

The discussion is made simpler by separating the trajectory from

the global aspects. In the former case, most areas will have zero con-

centrations, but those regions along the path will be finite, Accuracy of
prediction of concentration at a given point may be meaningless in the
presence of a “yes—no” situation. In global fallout, on the other hand,
very large regions contain varying amountsof fallout, and prediction of

air concentration or deposition at specific points or limited areas may

be described in terms of Gaussian frequency curves.

There have been several studies of the verification of free air
trajectories. These, in general, suggest that the true position of an air
parcel will lie in a circle around the forecast position with a radius
about 20 to 30% of the path length. Unfortunately, there are virtually no
verifications of long-range trajectories from ground-level or low-

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