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Wind

Wind is the movement of the air caused by changes of pressure and temperature in the atmosphere. Wind direction will determine the trajectory, or path, of air pollutants from their source to any receptor. Wind speed and the distance from the source will determine the time it will take air pollutants to travel from source to receptor.

At high wind speeds, the air will experience more mechanical turbulence and pollutants released near ground level will disperse more rapidly. However, air pollutants emitted by elevated stack sources may be more rapidly transported to the ground during high wind speeds and can actually lead to higher ground-level pollutant concentrations. At low wind speeds, pollutants emitted from sources near ground level, such as vehicle exhaust, will disperse at a slower rate.