ANSTO's research capabilities, led by the OPAL nuclear research reactor and associated instruments provide access to users investigating areas as diverse as materials, life sciences, climate change and mining/engineering.
Atmospheric Mixing and Pollution Transport
ANSTO's atmospheric science program contributes to international efforts aimed at improving our understanding of important atmospheric processes.
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| Scientists taking measurements of atmospheric mixing in Goulburn NSW |
The Atmospheric Mixing and Pollution Transport group uses naturally-occurring radioactive and stable isotope tracers to investigate and understand the sources and movement of pollution and greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere.
Pollution and greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere from the Earth's surface can remain close to the ground, potentially causing health problems for the local population, or they can be mixed upwards into the lower part of the atmosphere where they can be transported across regions, countries and continents.
The success of forecasts produced by pollution, weather and climate models, such as those run routinely by the Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), is critically dependent upon the accuracy with which mixing and transport processes in the lower atmosphere are represented. Also see: Atmospheric Radioactivity.
ANSTO's measurement-based experimental research feeds into improved forecasts on a range of scales through both process studies (leading to better representations of physical processes in models) and long-term monitoring (used to evaluate model transport predictions and constrain pollution emission estimates).
Results from the group's research are enabling practical, science-based improvements to the management of pollution (health) in our cities and alleviation of the effects of climate change.
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Radon measurements from aircraft. |
Mixing and exchange in the lower atmosphere
ANSTO uses tower-based and airborne instruments to measure vertical variations in radon-222, a naturally-occurring radioactive trace gas of terrestrial origin.
The group takes continuous two-point radon gradient measurements from towers in Sydney Australia and Cabauw in The Netherlands, and also collects detailed radon profiles in the lower troposphere (up to 3-4km) using samplers mounted on motor-gliders.
Radon is the best natural tracer for quantifying atmospheric mixing and exchange over land, and results from these studies are revealing rich mixing processes on diurnal to seasonal timescales. The research is also providing valuable observational data to underpin improved representations of mixing processes in models.
ANSTO's 50m tower in Sydney continuously records stable isotopes of atmospheric water vapour, together with a number of other significant greenhouse gases.
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Radon sample analysis aparatus |
Centred around a Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometer (allowing high-frequency real-time measurements at multiple heights), this sophisticated system complements the group's routine monitoring of natural radionuclides and other meteorological quantities on the ANSTO tower.
Atmospheric stable isotopes are powerful delineators of mixing and exchange processes in weather systems, including large-scale moisture transport mechanisms and source variations, and are increasingly being used as important evaluation tools for isotope-enabled climate models.
Regional sources and transport of pollution and climate-active species
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Measuring tower in Cabauw. |
ANSTO's atmospheric research group also operates a network of ground monitoring stations for natural atmospheric radionuclides in the greater Sydney area, co-located with fine particle pollution sampling units.
By combining the information provided by the natural radiotracers (on the recent history of the air-stream) with elemental analysis of the airborne pollution samples (Ion Beam Analysis using ANSTO's ANTARES accelerator), the group is able to characterise seasonal to inter-annual patterns of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from urban and industrial sources impacting a high proportion of the Australian population.
ANSTO is a long-term participant in the World Meteorological Organisations Global Atmospheric Watch (WMO-GAW) program. Its unique technology for highly sensitive measurements of atmospheric radioactivity, recognised by WMO as one of the best in the GAW network, has established an international benchmark for precision and quality at key WMO-GAW sites, including Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, Cape Point in South Africa, Cape Grim in Tasmania and Mt Waliguan in Tibet.
ANSTO has a major involvement in international carbon research programs. Data from the atmospheric research groups global network of high precision radon detectors, deployed at surface sites and on tall towers, is used for calibration of regional greenhouse gas emission estimates in Europe and America. Radon is the best natural tracer for this purpose, and high quality radon measurements are considered to be crucial to these research programs.
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Musswellbrook pollution monitoring station |
Key collaborations
ANSTO's atmospheric research group has strong national links to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
International collaborations include involvement in the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Program, the European and North American Carbon Programs, and the GEWEX modelling community.
Vertical mixing studies: Energy Research Centre of The Netherlands (ECN), Airborne Research Australia (Flinders University), Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research (CAWCR).
Atmospheric pollution studies: Cheju National University (Korea), National Inst Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan), Tokyo University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, University of Basel (Switzerland) and CAWCR.
Atmospheric stable isotopes: Wollongong University, Australian National University (ANU), IAEA (MIBA CRP), and University of New South Wales (UNSW).
World Meteorological Organisation Global Atmospheric Watch Program (WMO-GAW): Australian Bureau of Meteorology, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, NOAA-CMDL and China Meteorological Authority.
European and North American Carbon Programs: ECN, University of Groningen, University of Basel, EU Joint Research Centra at Ispra (Italy), Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Germany), CNRS France, University of Edinburgh and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Key contacts
Dr Alastair Williams
Leader, Atmospheric Research Group
ANSTO Institute for Environmental Research
Locked Bag 2001 Kirrawee DC NSW 2232
Phone: +61-2-9717 3694
Email: Alastair.Williams@ansto.gov.au
Publications
A list of current publications can be found here