Validation of a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model against middle-range scale measurements of 85Kr concentration in Japan

The Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model of the computer-based nuclear emergency response system WSPEEDI-II was validated with the measured Kr-85 concentrations in tens-of- to hundreds-of-km (middle-range) scale area by conducting dispersion simulations using the release rate from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan. The calculated weekly concentrations of Kr-85 in two simulation cases during April and September in 2008 agreed with the measurements within a factor of two at the sampling sites 170 to 2000km away from the plant. However, the sensitivity analysis of horizontal grid resolution of the meteorological model ranging from 2 to 54km showed that the calculated results had the dependency on the grid resolution, i.e., the calculated concentrations became low compared with the results with the grid resolution of 54km as the grid resolution became high. An empirical modification of the horizontal diffusion parameter used for long-range dispersions by WSPEEDI-II was attempted based on the sensitivity analysis to reduce the redundant diffusion effect in dispersion simulations with relatively high grid resolution. The modified horizontal diffusion parameter contributed to reduce the dependency of calculated concentrations on the horizontal grid resolution.