smog – Shamskm: A site to exchange knowledge and solutions

Hazy days of summer: Southeast U.S. field work measures mercury, smog

By Guest PostJuly 16, 2013Environmentair quality, ben lee, birmingham, c 130, central pennsylvania, claudia mohr, clean sea air, climate, coal fired, colored aerosols, dan jaffe, eastern texas, felipe lopez hilfiker, field work, ground-level ozone, gulf of mexico, hazy days, Houston, joel thornton, lyatt jaegle, measure, mercury, military transport plane, nashville, natural vegetation emission, ohio river valley, pollutants, power plant, smog, southeast us, summer, university of washington, vegetation particles, very exciting data

Dozens of atmospheric scientists, including three University of Washington faculty members, are taking part in what’s being described as one of the largest atmospheric field campaigns in decades.

The six-week Southeast Atmosphere Study, through July 15, includes scientists from more than 30 different institutions. Together they are studying how pollutants combine with natural vegetation emissions to affect climate and air quality in the Southeastern U.S. (more…)

U-M ecologist: Future Forests May Soak up More Carbon Dioxide than Previously Believed, Helping to Buffer Climate Change

By Guest PostOctober 16, 2011Environmentandrew burton, aspects of biological diversity, atmospheric carbon dioxide, biodiversity, carbon dioxide, climate change, co2 soaked trees, components of an ecosystem, donald zak, ecosystem, ecosystem modelers, experimental forest, experimental forest in rhinelander, fertilizing effect on trees, forage, genetic diversity, ground-level ozone, heat trapping carbon dioxide gas, human caused climate warming, kurt pregitzer, mark kubiske, nitrogen, north american forests, northeastern wisconsin, paper birch, photosynthesis, projected climate warming, rhinelander, simulate atmospheric conditions, smog, soil, sugar maple, trembling aspen, university of michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— North American forests appear to have a greater capacity to soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas than researchers had previously anticipated.

As a result, they could help slow the pace of human-caused climate warming more than most scientists had thought, a U-M ecologist and his colleagues have concluded. (more…)

Air Quality Worsened by Paved Surfaces

By Guest PostJune 11, 2011Environmentair pollution, atmospheric measurements, brad smull, china meteorological administration, coastal cities, computer simulations, emissions, fei chen, ground-level ozone, Houston, houston area, Japan, land and sea temperatures, los angeles, national center for atmospheric research, national science foundation, ncar, nsf, pavement, petrochemical facilities, pollutants, sea, shanghai, smog, traffic jams, unhealthy air, united states, university of tsukuba, urban areas on air pollution, urban development, urbanization, warm summer weather, weather patterns, wind patterns

*Widespread urban development alters weather patterns*

New research focusing on the Houston area suggests that widespread urban development alters weather patterns in a way that can make it easier for pollutants to accumulate during warm summer weather instead of being blown out to sea.

The international study, led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), could have implications for the air quality of fast-growing coastal cities in the United States and other mid-latitude regions overseas. (more…)

Moscow Literally Burnt by the Sun

By PravdaAugust 9, 2010Environmentcardiovascular, ecological situation, Germany, italian foreign ministry, moscow, muscovites, rainfalls, russian cities, sergey shoygu, smog, st. petersburg, summer heat, toxic smog, yekaterinburg

Moscow is suffocating. Thick toxic smog has been covering the sky above the city for days. The sun in Moscow looks like the moon during the day: it’s not that bright and yellow, but pale and orange with misty outlines against the smoky sky. Muscovites have to experience both the smog and sweltering heat at once. Today, August 9, the temperature is expected to hit the level of 37-39 degrees above zero Centigrade.

(more…)

Killing ‘sense of smell’

By ShamsJune 6, 2008Environmentair pollution, ground-level ozone, Mexico City, smog, WHO guidelines

While the country folk can detect contaminant in food (that makes bad smell) in lower levels, city dwellers are even more resistant. The 20 Million inhabitants of the Mexico City are probably going to lose their ‘sense of smell’. Reason: air pollution.