Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
Encyclopedia
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI) is within the Environmental Ministry of the Czech Republic
. The head office and centralized workplaces of the CHMI, including the data processing, telecommunication and technical services, are located at the Institute's own campus in Prague
. The CHMI has four major divisions:
was established at the end of World War I
. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia
peacefully split into two separate nations: the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The National Meteorological Institute was re-named the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and its charter was amended in 1994 and in 1995 by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.
The work of the Modelling and Expertise section is focused upon: the development of air pollution dispersion models; the
application of such models in the preparation of expert reports and opinions; forecasts of air quality control; the processing of operating information on pollutant concentrations obtained by the Airborne Monitoring section.
The SYMOS97 air pollution dispersion model was developed at the CHMI. It models the dispersion of continuous, neutral or buoyant plumes
from single or multiple point, area or line sources
. It can handle complex terrain and it can also be used to simulate the dispersion of cooling tower
plumes.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. The head office and centralized workplaces of the CHMI, including the data processing, telecommunication and technical services, are located at the Institute's own campus in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. The CHMI has four major divisions:
- Air Quality Control
- MeteorologyMeteorologyMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
- HydrologyHydrologyHydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
- Finance and Administration
History of the CHMI
The National Meteorological Institute was established in 1919 shortly after the Czechoslovak RepublicCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was established at the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
peacefully split into two separate nations: the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The National Meteorological Institute was re-named the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and its charter was amended in 1994 and in 1995 by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.
Air pollution dispersion modelling activities
The Air Quality Control division has five sections:- Air Quality Information System
- EmissionAir pollutionAir pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
and Sources - ModellingAtmospheric dispersion modelingAtmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
and Expertise - Airborne Monitoring
- Ambient Air Quality Standards
The work of the Modelling and Expertise section is focused upon: the development of air pollution dispersion models; the
application of such models in the preparation of expert reports and opinions; forecasts of air quality control; the processing of operating information on pollutant concentrations obtained by the Airborne Monitoring section.
The SYMOS97 air pollution dispersion model was developed at the CHMI. It models the dispersion of continuous, neutral or buoyant plumes
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
from single or multiple point, area or line sources
Air pollution dispersion terminology
Air pollution dispersion terminology includes the words and technical terms that have a special meaning to those who work in the field of air pollution dispersion modeling...
. It can handle complex terrain and it can also be used to simulate the dispersion of cooling tower
Cooling tower
Cooling towers are heat removal devices used to transfer process waste heat to the atmosphere. Cooling towers may either use the evaporation of water to remove process heat and cool the working fluid to near the wet-bulb air temperature or in the case of closed circuit dry cooling towers rely...
plumes.
See also
- List of atmospheric dispersion models
- FMIFinnish Meteorological InstituteThe Finnish Meteorological Institute is the government agency responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Finland. It is a part of the Ministry of Transport and Communications but it operates semi-autonomously....
, the Finnish Meteorological Institute - KNMI, the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute
- NILUNILUThe Norwegian Institute for Air Research or NILU is one of the leading specialized scientific laboratories in Europe researching issues related to air pollution, climate change and health. NILU has a staff of scientists, engineers and technicians with specialized expertise for working on air...
, the Norwegian Institute for Air Research - SMHISMHISMHI is an abbreviation for Sveriges Meteorologiska och Hydrologiska Institut, . SMHI is a government agency in Sweden and operates under the Ministry of Sustainable Development...
, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute - Royal Meteorological SocietyRoyal Meteorological SocietyThe Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...