Scribd
Upload
16 views4 pages

Air Pollution's Impact on Sky Colors

This document discusses how air pollution affects the color of the sky. It explains that Rayleigh scattering causes the sky to appear blue during the day as shorter wavelengths like blue scatter more. At sunset, red wavelengths scatter less so the sky appears orange or red. However, air pollution from particles can enhance reds and make sunsets appear deeper red. But too much pollution washes out colors and dims sunsets, showing pollution can impact the beauty of the sky both positively and negatively.

Uploaded by

FAIZA A PASCUAL
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
16 views4 pages

Air Pollution's Impact on Sky Colors

This document discusses how air pollution affects the color of the sky. It explains that Rayleigh scattering causes the sky to appear blue during the day as shorter wavelengths like blue scatter more. At sunset, red wavelengths scatter less so the sky appears orange or red. However, air pollution from particles can enhance reds and make sunsets appear deeper red. But too much pollution washes out colors and dims sunsets, showing pollution can impact the beauty of the sky both positively and negatively.

Uploaded by

FAIZA A PASCUAL
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Hi everyone. Today, I am going to share my opinion about air pollution and its effects on the sky.

Enjoy
watching and listening!

****
“The Imaginary Heaven”

The night sky is full of bright stars, galaxies, and mystery too. Science has uncovered a lot about our
solar system but we are only on the brink of understanding the shear capacity of the universe and
beyond. And adults and children both enjoy the beauty and mystical qualities of the night sky, and the
more you learn about our vast solar system the more curiosities and questions are provoked.

****

(PHENOMENON EXPLANATION)

(PHOTOS OF SKY)

The color of the sky in day-time and at twilight is studied by means of spectroscopy, which provides an
unambiguous way to understand and quantify why a sky is blue, pink, or red. The colors a daylight sky
can take primarily owe to Rayleigh extinction and ozone absorption.

The sky is blue due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. This scattering refers to the scattering
of electromagnetic radiation (of which light is a form) by particles of a much smaller wavelength.

Sunlight is scattered by the particles of the atmosphere, and what comes through down to earth is called
diffuse sky radiation, and though only about 1/3rd of light is scattered, the smallest wavelengths of
light tend to scatter easier. These shorter wavelengths correspond to blue hues, hence why when we
look at the sky, we see it as blue.

At sunset and sunrise, the angle at which sunlight enters the atmosphere is significantly changed, and
most of the blue and green (shorter) wavelengths of light are scattered even before reaching the lower
atmosphere, so we see more of the orange and red colours in the sky.
****

(OWN VISION)

The ocean is not blue because it reflects the sky, though I believed that up until a few years ago. Water
actually appears blue due to its absorption of red light. When light hits water, the water's molecules
absorb some of the photons from the light. Everything absorbs at a different wavelength (Your green t-
shirt absorbs red), and as a result reflects the remaining colours back at a viewer (that's why your t-shirt
looks green).

In shallow bodies of water (like a drinking glass) light penetrates it completely, as there is not enough
water to absorb enough photons, so we see the water as colourless. In deeper waters however, not all
the wavelengths of light can fully penetrate the liquid, as there are too many water molecules in the
way of the photons. The water molecules absorb all the red wavelengths from the light, making it
reflect blue. This is also why shallower waters appear 'less' or lighter blue than deeper ones- less
absorption means less reflection.

****

(AIR POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE SKY)

(PICTURE OF AIR POLLUTION AND SKY)

Air pollution affects the change of the sky color by High levels of particulate pollution from all types of
burning, reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface and even changes the appearance of
the sky. Also, larger particles of dust, pollution, and water vapor in the atmosphere reflect and scatter
more of the reds and yellows, sometimes making the whole western sky glow red.

According to urban legend, air pollution enhances the beauty of a sunset. And pollution does indeed
change the appearance of sundown, but whether it tips it in the direction of beauty is a matter of
personal taste—and the overall amount of that pollution in the air.
Be it the azure of high noon or the orange glow of dusk, the colors of the sky result from sunlight
interacting with molecules in the air, primarily nitrogen and oxygen, which cause it to be deflected in
all directions, a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering. All wavelengths of light are scattered, but they
are not scattered equally. approximate scattering law, colors with shorter wavelengths are scattered the
most: violet, followed by blue, then green, and so on.

During the day, when the sun is directly overhead, light travels only a short distance through a
relatively thinner section of the atmosphere. But as the sun edges toward the horizon, the light must
travel increasingly longer paths and is scattered by more air molecules. By the time it reaches the end
of this journey (our eyes), "most of the blue has been scattered out of that beam". What remains are the
warmer hues of yellow, orange and red, which blend into a yellowish-orange sunset.

Yet, scattering by nitrogen and oxygen can only explain how sunsets can be orange and perhaps
reddish, not how the sky can blush blood red. That I am in an atmosphere with no junk at any time,
you'll never get a sunset that would make someone with normal color vision say, ‘'Wow that's red!’ It is
certainly true that the 'pollution' results in redder sunsets.

To get a red sky, you need aerosols. Aerosols are solid or liquid particles suspended in the air that
originate from both natural processes and human activity. Natural aerosols come from forest fires,
mineral dust kicked up by sandstorms, sea spray and volcanic eruptions, among other things.

But in a large city, you can ignore natural aerosol products for the most part because the number of
aerosols produced by human activity far exceeds natural sources. Human-generated aerosols can enter
the atmosphere directly, as is the case with soot emitted by internal combustion engines in cars and
trucks. Aerosols are also produced when molecules in the gaseous state enter the atmosphere and react
with other chemicals. Add classic case: burning fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide gas into the air,
which then turns into sulfuric acid aerosols.

Most particles suspended above cities scatter radiation, preferentially removing the cooler violets and
blues in the spectral palette and enhancing the red. In this sense, these particles scatter light much the
same as do oxygen and nitrogen molecules.

Molecules and small particles scatter the same way as long as the particle is sufficiently small. If the
particle is small compared with the wavelengths of visible light, it will scatter short wavelengths, such
as blues and violets, more than long wavelengths, such as red. Many man-made aerosols are small
enough to meet this criterion, so they contribute to the deep crimson sunsets of polluted cities across
the globe.

However, at some point, the air pollution is so bad, and the sky is so saturated, you don't even see the
sun clearly anymore. For example, the sunset can appear bright but washed out when large numbers of
big particles accumulate in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to the ground. Aerosols
that are close in size or larger than the wavelengths of visible light tend to scatter all colors
indiscriminately, increasing the overall brightness of the sky but dampening color contrast.

Particles of any kind, even much smaller than the wavelength of visible light, will as a rule, make the
sky brighter but at the expense of its purity of color. Nothing that the effect is more pronounced when
there is a high concentration of large aerosols.

So, although aerosols may make a sunset red, excess pollution will also dampen the overall sunset
experience. In fact, the transition from day to night might be a whole lot peachier—and healthier—
without all that atmospheric flotsam.

****

(CONCLUSION)

So in reality, the sky takes on shades of orange during Sunrise and Sunset. The color that gives you
hope, that the Sun will set, only to rise again. It is an infinite movie to us. We will never get tired of
looking at what’s happening up there.

Common questions

Powered by AI

The statement that air pollution can enhance the beauty of a sunset is both supported and challenged by scientific observations. Aerosols from pollution scatter shorter wavelengths, enhancing red hues and potentially creating visually stunning sunsets. However, excessive pollution can also lead to a reduction in color purity and contrast, making sunsets appear washed out. Ultimately, whether pollution enhances beauty is subjective and depends on personal taste and the specific level of pollution, as high concentrations can diminish the overall sunset experience .

Rayleigh scattering is the scattering of light by particles much smaller than the wavelength of light, resulting in the preferential scattering of shorter wavelengths, such as blue light. This phenomenon is why the sky appears blue. In contrast, Mie scattering occurs with larger particles, which are similar or larger than the wavelength of light, resulting in non-preferential scattering of all wavelengths and leading to phenomena such as the white appearance of clouds .

During sunrise and sunset, the angle of sunlight passing through the atmosphere increases, requiring light to travel through a thicker segment of the atmosphere. This extended path causes shorter wavelengths to scatter out before reaching the observer, leaving longer red and orange wavelengths, thus altering the visual perception of sky colors to warmer hues at these times of day .

Air pollution impacts sunset colors by introducing aerosols and particulate matter into the atmosphere, which enhance red hues due to scattering. Aerosols, both natural and human-made, scatter shorter wavelengths, like blues and violets, more effectively, leaving longer wavelengths like reds and oranges. This creates redder sunsets, especially in polluted areas. However, excessive pollution can dampen color contrast, making the sunsets appear washed out while increasing overall brightness due to indiscriminate light scattering by larger particles .

The color variations in the sky during daytime and twilight are primarily explained by Rayleigh scattering and ozone absorption. During the day, the sky appears blue because Rayleigh scattering causes sunlight's shorter wavelengths, corresponding to blue hues, to scatter more than other colors. At sunrise and sunset, the sun's angle changes, scattering shorter wavelengths before reaching the lower atmosphere and allowing the orange and red hues to dominate .

Sunsets in cities appear more crimson due to the higher concentration of aerosols from both natural and anthropogenic sources. These aerosols are smaller than the wavelengths of visible light and preferentially scatter shorter wavelengths such as blue and violet, leaving the longer red wavelengths, thereby intensifying the crimson appearance. In rural areas with fewer aerosols, less scattering of blue and violet occurs, resulting in more typical orange and yellow hues .

Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and using internal combustion engines release gases like sulfur dioxide into the air, which convert into aerosols like sulfuric acid. These anthropogenic aerosols scatter light similarly to how natural aerosols do, affecting atmospheric colors by enhancing reds and suppressing blues and violets. They cause more vivid red and orange sunsets but can also wash out colors when concentrations are too high .

Natural sources of aerosols include forest fires, sea spray, volcanic eruptions, and mineral dust from sandstorms. These sources typically vary in consistency and can be more sporadic in distribution compared to human-generated aerosols, which often result from continuous activities like fossil fuel combustion. Human-generated aerosols generally exceed natural sources in urban areas, having a more consistent impact on atmospheric conditions and light scattering. Both types affect light by scattering shorter wavelengths more effectively, but human aerosols are often more concentrated and persistent .

Deep ocean water appears blue because water molecules absorb red wavelengths of light and reflect blue ones. In shallow water, light penetrates fully because there is insufficient water to absorb enough photons, rendering the water mostly colorless. In deeper water, more water molecules absorb red wavelengths, causing the blue reflection that characterizes the ocean's color. This results in deeper waters appearing a more intense blue compared to shallower waters .

Large aerosol particles increase the overall brightness of the sky because they scatter all colors of light indiscriminately. This scattering reduces color contrast, potentially making the sky appear brighter but more washed out. In heavily polluted environments, the saturation from large aerosols can dampen the vibrancy of sunset colors, leading to a less vivid sky even as it appears brighter .

You might also like