Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division

The Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD) is one of several field divisions of NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory, headquartered in College Park, MD. ATDD's research is focused on air quality, climate, and dispersion-related research directed toward issues of national and global importance. Air quality objectives are to develop better methods for predicting transport, dispersion, and air-surface exchange of air pollutants. Climate objectives include reference-grade measurement of climate change and related physical and chemical processes. Dispersion objectives include research into atmospheric boundary layer transport and dispersion processes. This research will lead to better tools and information for decision makers to improve prediction of the atmospheric transport and dispersion of toxic and other hazardous materials. ATDD has a permanent staff of approximately 40 personnel. We frequently host graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and international visitors for varying intervals. Research is performed with the aid of personnel of the Independent Environmental Assessment and Verification (IEAV) division of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), and in collaboration with scientists and engineers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and numerous other organizations, government agencies, universities, and private research institutions.

ATDD is located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. We operate two permanent research stations, one at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Walker Branch Watershed forested experimental area, and one on the DOE reservation at the Chestnut Ridge Environmental Study site. Important on-site facilities include a wind tunnel laboratory, machine shop, electronics laboratory, and chemical instruments laboratory.