Abstract
During measurement of the plume rise from the 381-m International Nickel Company stack (in the Sudbury area), it was observed that on some occasions the plume bifurcated. The bifurcation lasted for periods ranging from a few seconds to tens of minutes. During this time, the plume behaved like two separate plumes, each attached to the chimney, with a relatively clear region between the two plumes. The two branches travelled downwind at either the same or different heights, depending on the ambient meteorological conditions. Vertical wind direction shear tended to diffuse the two branches at different rates.
In an attempt to explain the initiation and the mechanism of bifurcation, field observations are presented and analyzed.
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Fanaki, F.H. Experimental observations of a bifurcated buoyant plume. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 9, 479–495 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223395
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223395