Evaluation of Atmospheric Dispersion Models During the Guardo Experiment

In November 1990, an intensive field tracer experiment was carried out in the Guardo valley (northern Spain). The main purpose of the tracer study was the atmospheric characterization of dispersion patterns over complex terrain. To do so, an evaluation exercise based on different modelling platforms was developed. The selected modelling tools embraced a set of different dispersion techniques: (1) a straight-line gaussian plume model, (2) a gaussian puff model drived by a simple interpolated wind field, (3) a particlein-cell model drived by a mass-consistent wind model and (4) a lagrangian particle model drived by a prognostic mesoscale model.