Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 3 3 2003 10.5194/acpd-3-3171-2003 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/3/3171/2003/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/3/3171/2003/acpd-3-3171-2003.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/3/3171/2003/acpd-3-3171-2003.pdf 3171 3203 2003-06-19 Rebuilding sources of linear tracers after atmospheric concentration concentration J.-P. Issartel Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Centre d’Enseignement et de Recherche en Environnement Atmosphérique, France The identification of widespread sources of passive tracers out of atmospheric concentration measurements has become an important challenge of modern meteorology. The paper proposes some mathematical tracks to address this reconstruction of the complex space-time geometry of the sources. The methods are based upon the use of retroplumes. The inverse problem is addressed in a deterministic non statistical frame. The information obtained by local measurements is spread by introducing the concept of illumination. The constraint that the source to be rebuilt is non negative is also addressed. The experimental source ETEX1 is rebuilt in order to evaluate an impulse response of the algorithms.