Lecture to Present New Approaches to Tackling Pollution

Abstract

[evdate 1992-09-21] THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Clear Water Bay Kowloon Hong Kong. Facsimile No. Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Chia-Wei Woo, BS, MA, PhD

For immediate release 21 September 1992

Lecture to Present New Approaches to Tackling Pollution

"Dispersion of Pollutants in Atmosphere and Ocean" will be the topic of a public lecture at the Hong Kong Science Museum, Sunday 27 September. Dr S.C. Kot, Senior Lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), will deliver the lecture. To be given in Cantonese, the lecture is open to the public free of charge; it will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the Lecture Hall of the Hong Kong Science Museum, 2 Science Rd, Tsimshatsui East.

Pollutants released into the environment--whether it is the liquid environment of the sea or the gaseous environment of the air--move. The motion, or dispersion, of pollutants can be described by the laws of a new branch of fluid mechanics known as environmental fluid mechanics. This new field is growing rapidly, as people become increasingly concerned about the quality of the air and water. Three major factors determine the dispersion of pollutants: the amount of pollutant released; the strength and direction of wind (in air) or current (in water) in the vicinity of where the pollutant is released; and turbulence. Understanding these three factors helps scientists to predict and control pollution in the management of air quality and fresh water resources of cities.

The lecturer, Dr Kot, is a native of Hong Kong. Before joining HKUST, he was a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong. He has held visiting academic positions at Cambridge, Sheffield University and Colorado State University. Fluid dynamics is the focus of his research, particularly as it can be applied to solve the unique problems of high-rise urban environments. Dr Kot graduated from the University of Illinois with a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, and from Cornell University with an ME and PhD in Aerospace Engineering. .

This lecture is part of the second popular science lecture series jointly sponsored by HKUST and the Hong Kong Science Museum. As last year, the new series presents topics of current interest in science and technology. The speakers are academics from HKUST with particular expertise in the lecture topics. Six lectures have been scheduled, one on the third or fourth Sunday of each month from July through December.

Direct enquiries to the Office of Public Affairs, telephone 356-6316.