Quote:
Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I had some just this week. Which reminds me of a question that precipitation raised. So it hasn't rained all summer here (yay!), and then it rained pretty hard recently. I sort of expected the rain to make the smog downtown better, but instead there was actually a clearly discernible smog layer (of browner color than usual) visible below the clouds following the rain. And smog has been worse downtown after the rain than is was before. Any pseudo-scientists care to explain this to a smog-activity novice?
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The rain eliminated any temperature inversion (hotter close to the ground) that helps to dissipate the smog through rising warm air. (this is why smog is often worse in winter) When it rained, the ground became cooler, so the smog was trapped. Since the rain didn't eliminate it all, you saw brown.
Or maybe my ass is particularly loqacious this afternoon.