Rarely is the terrain surrounding a farm perfectly flat and smooth. Landscape plays an important role in the movement of odor off-farm. Increasing the roughness of the terrain with obstacles such as hills, trees, and buildings tends to increase dispersion in the odor plume. A filtering barrier, such as a row of trees placed downwind of the odor source increases turbulence, forcing the air to mix and lift odors upward. Land slope also changes the shape of the plume.
Dispersion is increased if prevailing winds carry the plume up-slope.
Down-slope or down valley winds tend to concentrate odors in lower lying areas. Gravity pulls the plume into valleys and low spots. Cold air drainage plays a very large role in the movement of agricultural odors. Most farmstead odors are heavier t han air, increasing their tendency to settle in low-lying areas. Odors may travel great distance under such dispersion conditions, following the course of streams and valleys by cold air drainage.