Simulation of Air Pollution in Almaty City under Adverse Weather Conditions

E. A. Zakarin, A. A. Baklanov, L. A. Balakay, T. V. Dedova,
and K. A. Bostanbekov

The problem of air pollution in Almaty city in stagnant weather conditions is considered. Such conditions are so frequent, because the city is located at the foothills of the mountain range of Ile Alatau. The WRF-Chem complex model is used for the analysis and allows a high-detail simulation both of the atmospheric circulation and the transport of various pollutants, taking into account their chemical transformations. The results of modeling meteorological processes are compared with observational data. The main attention is paid to the calculation of the sulfur dioxide plume emitted by the pipes of the coal-fired CHP-2. The simulations showed that regional latitudinal wind, whose direction regularly changes to the opposite one, dominates in the northern part of the city atmosphere. During such periods and under unstable atmosphere stratification conditions, the plume dissipates and pollutants penetrate into the surface layer. In some areas, the concentration of SO2 significantly exceeds sanitary standards.