Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form of precipitation that contains acidic components, such as sulfuric acid or nitric acid. Dust, gases, rain, snow, fog and hail are all included in the definition of precipitation. Wet deposition is the type of acid rain. Dry deposition is acid rain formed with dust or gases.
Dust, gasses, rain, snow, fog and hail are all included in the definition of precipitation. Wet deposition is the type of acid rain. Dry deposition is acid rain formed with dust or gasses.
According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, the father of acid rain was Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith, who came up with the term in 1852. He wrote about his findings in 1872 in the book Air and Rain: The Beginnings of a Chemical Climatology.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, acid rain became a regional environmental issue that affected Western Europe and eastern North America.
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Natural disasters can affect most acidic precipitation. Acid rain can be caused by volcanoes blowing pollutants into the air. Acid rain can be created far from the volcano when pollutants are carried in jet streams. The sulfur trioxide was blasted into the air after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. When it hit the air, it turned into acid rain.
It is thought that the air may have had 10,000 times the amount of carbon dioxide as it does today. The results of the study were published in the 2008 issue of the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. John Valley is a member of the study team.
Fossil-fuel power plants, vehicles and oil refineries release SO2 and NOx into the air, which causes acid rain, according to the EPA. Electric power generators produce two thirds of sulfur dioxide and one fourth of nitrogen oxide.
A chemical reaction happens when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides mix with water. They fall to the ground when they become sulfuric and nitric acids. Precipitation is acidic when the pH is less than 5. The rain has a normal pH of 5.6.
Everything is affected by acid rain. Plants, soil, trees, buildings and even statues can be changed by precipitation.
Acid rain is very hard on trees. It stunts growth by washing away the protective film on leaves. Acid rain is hard on trees.
The only preserved soil in the world before the acid rain era was provided by the Russians and they helped our international team track tree growth for the first time.
Acid rain can change the composition of soil and bodies of water, making them unsuitable for animals and plants. A healthy lake has a pH of at least 6.5. fish die off when acid rain raises the level of acidity. The majority of fish species cannot survive a water pH of less than 5. According to the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, the lake is dead when the pH is 4.
It can also affect limestone and marble buildings and monuments.
There are ways to stop acid rain. The EPA says that regulating emissions from vehicles and buildings is an important step. This can be accomplished by limiting the use of fossil fuels and using more renewable energy sources.
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Also, each person can do their part by reducing their vehicle use. Using public transportation, walking, riding a bike or carpooling is a good start, according to the EPA. People can also reduce their use of electricity, which is widely created with fossil fuels, or switch to a solar plan. Many electricity companies offer solar packages to their customers that require no installation and low costs.
Adding lime deposits to major water sources can prevent acid rain. The LA Times reported that this method has been used for thousands of years to reduce the acidity in the water. liming operations have been used to restore wildlife. In Wales, salmon were restored to the Wye river. The Young People's Trust for the Environment reported that the fish were gone from the river 18 years ago because of the acidic water.
You can learn more about acid rain on Young Peoples Trust for the Environment, watch a National Geographic video about the role of fossil fuels and pollution in creating acid rain, and learn more about what the WWF is doing to reduce emissions.
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