Wind trajectory computer program, consisting of data handling program and analysis program, traces Los Angeles Basin wind patterns either backward or forward in time. Program may be applicable to other areas

Strand, J. N.

Street, A. B.

English

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1972	 B72-10072 
•	 NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Pasadena Office 	 L2A 
NASA Tech Briefs announce now technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Wind Trajectory Tracing for Air Pollution Studies (AIRPOL) 
The problem: 
The Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District needed 
a method for tracing air parcels either forward or back-
ward in time. 
The solution: 
The Wind Trajectory Computer Program has been 
written which provides an output that traces wind pat-
terns in the Los Angeles Basin. With modification and 
appropriate wind data, this program could be applicable 
to other areas. 
How it's done: 
There are actually two programs. The first one is a 
data handling program, and the second is an analysis 
program. The two must be executed in this order. 
The program is a non-real time program. As input 
data, the program takes wind vectors, wind station 
parameters, and the locations of the desired starting 
points. The program computes and lists the air parcel 
locations in half hour steps, either for the duration of 
the time span requested, or until no wind vector is 
available. In addition, it traces a nondispersing wind 
parcel either forward or backward in time and does so 
in two dimensions.
The value of such a program is that (1) it can provide 
data on the areas affected by an air pollution source or 
(2) if a monitoring station detects a pollutant, the up-
stream path of the air can be traced, and the potential 
pollution sources can be narrowed considerably. 
Notes: 
1. This program is written in FORTRAN IV for use on 
the IBM-360. 
2. Submitted by: Arthur B. Street and John N. Strand 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
California Institute of Technology 
4800 Oak Grove Drive 
Pasadena, California 91103 
(NPO-1 1892) 
Inquiries concerning this program should be directed 
to:
COSMIC 
112 Barrow Hall 
University of Georgia 
Athens, Georgia 30601
Category 09 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately owned rights.
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Wind trajectory tracing for air pollution studies (AIRPOL)

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