Spatiotemporal Modelling of Atmospheric Pollution: A Computational Approach with Advection-Diffusion Equation

Atmospheric pollution presents a serious environmental and public health challenge globally. Accurate modelling and simulation of pollutant dispersion is essential for effective air quality management. This paper employs the Advection-Diffusion Equation to simulate the spatiotemporal behaviour of pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere. The study incorporates various atmospheric parameters including wind velocity, diffusion coefficients, and source term dynamics. Using both analytical and numerical techniques—specifically finite difference methods—we simulate pollutant spread from a continuous ground-level source. The simulation results reveal that pollutant concentration is initially localized near the emission point, with peak levels exceeding 2.5 units at 100 seconds. Over time, the pollutant plume elongates and disperses predominantly in the wind direction (x-axis), with concentration gradients smoothing out due to diffusion. By 1000 seconds, the plume extends significantly across the domain, showing a marked decrease in peak concentration and an increased spatial spread. These results highlight the critical role of wind advection and atmospheric diffusion in shaping pollutant transport. The modeling approach provides valuable insights for environmental monitoring, public health risk assessment, and urban air quality management strategies.