A method of characterizing a source of an emitted material, said method comprising the steps of: measuring concentrations of the emitted material at at least two or more locations; measuring changes in representative wind velocity over time; generating a first dimensionless plume and a second dimensionless plume in space based on said measured wind velocity changes and said measured concentrations at said first and said second locations, respectively, each dimensionless plume comprising numerical representations of contaminant flux from concentration measurements and wind speed information from the measured wind velocity change information correlated with reference to a relevant time of measurement and with a location; determining a first trajectory based on said first dimensionless plume's numerical representations of contaminant flux associated with wind speeds from measured wind velocity changes at a variety of relevant times for said first location; determining a second trajectory based on said second dimensionless plume's numerical representations of contaminant flux associated with wind speeds from measured wind velocity changes at a variety of relevant times for said second location; determining a first emission source candidate at a first location along said first trajectory, and said first emission source having one or more characteristics; and determining a second emission source candidate at a second location along said second trajectory, and said second emission source having one or more characteristics, where both source candidates are related to each other by distance; converting said first dimensionless plume into a dimensioned plume at said first location using concentration information associated with the first location with the numeric representation of concentration flux together with distance from the first emission candidate source location to the first location, and determining a characteristic based on said dimensioned plume, wherein said characteristic comprises one of the characteristics associated with said first emission source candidate; converting said second dimensionless plume into a dimensioned plume at said second location using concentration information associated with the second location with the numeric representation of concentration flux together with distance from the second emission candidate source location to the second location and determining a characteristic associated with said second source candidate based on the dimensioned plume, wherein said characteristic comprises one of the characteristics associated with said second emission source candidate; and determining the source of the emitted material based on substantial agreement between the location and the characteristics of said first and second emission source candidates. measuring concentrations of the emitted material at at least two or more locations; measuring changes in representative wind velocity over time; generating a first dimensionless plume and a second dimensionless plume in space based on said measured wind velocity changes and said measured concentrations at said first and said second locations, respectively, each dimensionless plume comprising numerical representations of contaminant flux from concentration measurements and wind speed information from the measured wind velocity change information correlated with reference to a relevant time of measurement and with a location; determining a first trajectory based on said first dimensionless plume's numerical representations of contaminant flux associated with wind speeds from measured wind velocity changes at a variety of relevant times for said first location; determining a second trajectory based on said second dimensionless plume's numerical representations of contaminant flux associated with wind speeds from measured wind velocity changes at a variety of relevant times for said second location; determining a first emission source candidate at a first location along said first trajectory, and said first emission source having one or more characteristics; and determining a second emission source candidate at a second location along said second trajectory, and said second emission source having one or more characteristics, where both source candidates are related to each other by distance; converting said first dimensionless plume into a dimensioned plume at said first location using concentration information associated with the first location with the numeric representation of concentration flux together with distance from the first emission candidate source location to the first location, and determining a characteristic based on said dimensioned plume, wherein said characteristic comprises one of the characteristics associated with said first emission source candidate; converting said second dimensionless plume into a dimensioned plume at said second location using concentration information associated with the second location with the numeric representation of concentration flux together with distance from the second emission candidate source location to the second location and determining a characteristic associated with said second source candidate based on the dimensioned plume, wherein said characteristic comprises one of the characteristics associated with said second emission source candidate; and determining the source of the emitted material based on substantial agreement between the location and the characteristics of said first and second emission source candidates.