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The Cloud Cycle and Acid Rain

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The Cloud Cycle and Acid Rain gX^\[`i\Zk\em`ifed\ekXc`dgXZkjf]d`e`e^Xkc`_`i_`^_jZ_ffcYffbc\k(+ ( K_\Zcfl[ZpZc\Xe[XZ`[iX`e m the mine ke fro smo uld rain on Lihir? Co e acid caus /P 5IJTCPPLMFUXJMM FYQMBJOXIZ K_\i\Xjfe]fik_`jYffbc\k K_\i\`jefXZ`[iX`efeC`_`i% `jk_Xkk_\i\_XjY\\ejfd\ K_`jYffbc\k\ogcX`ejk_\jZ`\eZ\ d`jle[\ijkXe[`e^XYflkk_\ Xe[Z_\d`jkipY\_`e[XZ`[iX`e% \o`jk\eZ\f]XZ`[iX`efeC`_`i% I\X[fekfÔe[flkn_pk_\i\`jef XZ`[iX`efeC`_`i55 page Normal rain cycle and acid rain To understand why there is no acid rain on Lihir we will look at: 1 How normal rain is formed 2 2 How humidity effects rain formation 3 3 What causes acid rain? 4 4 How much smoke pollution makes acid rain? 5 5 Comparing pollution on Lihir with Sydney and China 6 6 Where acid rain does occur 8–9 7 Could acid rain fall on Lihir? 10–11 8 The effect of acid rain on the environment 12 9 Time to check what you’ve learnt 13 Glossary back page Read the smaller text in the blue bar at the bottom of each page if you want to understand the detailed scientific explanations. > > gX^\) ( ?fnefidXciX`e`j]fid\[ K_\eXkliXcnXk\iZpZc\ :cfl[jXi\]fid\[n_\e_\Xk]ifdk_\jleZXlj\jk_\nXk\i`e k_\fZ\Xekf\mXgfiXk\Xe[Y\Zfd\Xe`em`j`Yc\^Xj% K_`j^Xji`j\j_`^_`ekfk_\X`in_\i\Zffc\ik\dg\iXkli\jZXlj\ `kkfZfe[\ej\Xe[Y\Zfd\k`epnXk\i[ifgc\kj%N_\edXepf] k_\j\nXk\i[ifgc\kjZfcc`[\kf^\k_\ik_\pdXb\Y`^^\inXk\i [ifgj#n_`Z_Xi\kff_\XmpkfÕfXkXifle[`ek_\X`iXe[jfk_\p ]Xcc[fneXjiX`e%K_`jgifZ\jj`jZXcc\[gi\Z`g`kXk`fe% K_\eXkliXcnXk\iZpZc\ _\Xk]ifd k_\jle nXk\imXgflijZfe[\ej\ kfZi\Xk\Zcfl[j gi\Z`g`kXk`fe \mXgfiXk`fe K_\jZ`\eZ\Y\_`e[iX`e K_\_\Xk]ifdk_\jleZXlj\jnXk\i`ek_\ K_ifl^_\mXgfiXk`feXe[kiXejg`iXk`fe# j\X#cXb\jXe[i`m\ijkf\mXgfiXk\%<mXgfiXk`fe nXk\idfm\j`ekfk_\Xkdfjg_\i\k_\ `jn_\ek_\nXk\iZ_Xe^\j]ifd`kjc`hl`[ X`i %8jk_\nXk\imXgflidfm\j_`^_\i jkXk\kfY\`e^X^Xj%NXk\in_`Z_`jXYjfiY\[ lg`ekfk_\Xkdfjg_\i\n_\i\`k`jZfc[\i# `egcXekjXcjfY\Zfd\jX^Xjk_ifl^_k_\ k_\nXk\imXgflijk_\eZfe[\ej\kfZi\Xk\ gifZ\jjf]kiXejg`iXk`fe%K_\^Xj\flj]fidf] Zcfl[j%<m\eklXccp#nXk\ii\kliejkf<Xik_Xj nXk\i`jjfd\k`d\jZXcc\[nXk\imXgfli% gi\Z`g`kXk`fe`ek_\]fidf]iX`e#fi`eZfc[ gcXZ\j`kdXp]XccXjjc\\k#_X`cfijefn% page How humidity affects rain formation The high humidity and steep mountains on Lihir cause clouds to build up quickly and produce heavy rain. Lihir is a hot tropical Humidity is a measure of the how much water vapour is island and present in the air as a gas. has a high humidity. When warm humid air (with a lot of water vapour in it) cools, it condenses to form clouds. During condensation the water in the air changes from invisible gas to liquid in the form of many tiny droplets. Because these droplets are so small they do not fall down, but instead form clouds floating around in the air, just like dust or the soot particles of smoke (Learn about smoke in Leaflet 2). As warm wind blows over the sea it picks up moisture and becomes humid. When it reaches an island with mountains, the humid air flows up the side of the mountain to the top, where it cools, and the water condenses to form clouds. That is why you often see clouds forming above islands. Eventually the tiny droplets of water in clouds start to collide and join together, growing in size. Once they reach a certain size, they can no longer float around in the air, and they start to fall, as rain. Temperature and humidity There is a relationship between the from the sea, and the warm air can contain a temperature of the air, and the greatest high concentration of gaseous water. possible concentration of water that can be Deserts and cold places have low humidity present in the air as a gas or vapour. This is because cold air cannot hold much water also known as humidity. vapour. You rarely ever see clouds in the Warm air around tropical islands has high desert because there is very little water to humidity because the high temperatures of evaporate and form clouds. the tropics cause more water to evaporate page What causes acid rain? Acid rain occurs in industrial areas when the atmosphere is very polluted with smoke from very large numbers of factories and cars. The chemicals present in smoke pollution dissolve in the water in clouds to produce rainwater that is acidic. Smoke pollution Acid rain can only happen in very polluted places where there is causes so much smoke you cannot see a clear sky. acid rain. SO SO 2 2 NO NO x x water vapour SO SO 2 2 from the sea NOx SO acid rain 2 SO2 sulphur dioxide SO2 SO 2 from industry SO 2 SO2 SO2 The acid rain cycle NO nitrogen oxide from x motor vehicles NOx NOx NOx The chemistry of acid rain The pH scale is a measure of acidity. Acid rain forms when high concentrations of For more on pH see Leaflet 3 sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides Pure (unpolluted) rainwater has a pH of (NOX)* dissolve in raindrops to form sulfuric around 5.6. This is in fact slightly acidic, acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO). The pH of the rainwater therefore decreases below because carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air dissolves in raindrops to form carbonic acid pH 5 and becomes acid rain. (H2CO3). So, pure rainwater is naturally Acid rain in severely polluted places such already slightly acidic. as China has a pH as low as 2.9. gX^\, + N_`Z_Z_\d`ZXcjf]gfcclk`feZXlj\XZ`[iX`e6 ?)JF+ ?EF* jlc]li`ZXZ`[ e`ki`ZXZ`[ Jdfb\ gfcclk`fe `e:_`eX# 8d\i`ZX 8Z`[iX`eZXefecp]Xcc`eZfleki`\jn_\i\k_\i\`jX^i\XkXdflek Xe[<lifg\% f]jdfb\gfcclk`fe]fidfi\fejdfb\j\\9ffb\k) %:_`eX_Xj_`^_ c\m\cjf]XZ`[iX`eXkgi\j\ek#Ylk8ljkiXc`X[f\jefk% 8Z`[iX`e`jZXlj\[Ypknfb`e[jf]Z_\d`ZXcj#jlc]li[`fo`[\JF) # Xe[e`kif^\efo`[\jEFo !%K_\j\Z_\d`ZXcjXi\]fle[`ejdfb\ k_Xk`jgif[lZ\[]ifdYlie`e^]fjj`c]l\cjj\\>cfjjXip9ffbc\k) c`b\ ZfXc#fic`hl`[]l\cjjlZ_Xjg\kifcfi[`\j\cn_`Z_Xi\dX[\]ifd Zil[\f`c% 8Z`[iX`e`j]fid\[XjXi\jlckf]k_\Z_\d`ZXcj]ifdgfcclk`fe i\XZk`e^n`k_k_\k`epnXk\i[ifgc\kj`ek_\Zcfl[jkf]fidXZ`[j# n_`Z_k_\e]Xcckf\Xik_XjiX`e% 33 8[\kX`c\[\ogcXeXk`fef]k_\Z_\d`jkipf]XZ`[iX`e]fidXk`fe`j ^`m\e`ek_\Ycl\YXiY\cfnc\]k% !efk\ k_\o`eEFOd\Xej k_Xkj\m\iXc[`]]\i\ek ]fidf]e`kif^\e EF JF) fo`[\j\o`jk# ) `eZcl[`e^e`kif^\e dfefo`[\EF Xe[ e`kif^\e[`fo`[\ EF) % EF gX^\- , :fdgXi`e^gfcclk`fefeC`_`in`k_Jp[e\pXe[:_`eX Jlcg_li[`fo`[\JF) `jfe\f]k_\dX`egfcclkXekjk_XkZXlj\ XZ`[iX`eXifle[k_\nfic[%J`eZ\k_\(0.'j^fm\ied\ekcXnj`e dfjk`e[ljki`Xc`q\[Zfleki`\j_Xm\]fiZ\[`e[ljki`\jkfi\[lZ\ JF)\d`jj`fej%K_\LJ8_Xji\[lZ\[`kjfm\iXccJF)\d`jj`fej YpXYflk**j`eZ\(0/'% K_\XeelXcXdflekf]JF)\d`kk\[Ypk_\gfn\igcXekXkC`_`i Y\]fi\k_\^\fk_\idXcgfn\igifa\ZkY\^Xej\\9ffb\k* nXj `e[\\[hl`k\_`^_*#0-+kfee\jg\ip\Xi #Ylkefke\Xicp_`^_ \efl^_kfZXlj\XZ`[iX`efeC`_`i%K_\^iXg_Y\cfnZfdgXi\j k_\XeelXchlXek`kpf]JF)\d`kk\[Ypk_\gfn\igcXekXkC`_`i n`k_k_\Xdflekf]JF)\d`kk\[Ypk_\Z`kpf]9\`a`e^#Xe[k_\ ^i\Xk\iJp[e\pXi\X#`ei\Z\ekp\Xij% 8eelXcJF) 200,000 \d`jj`fej 180,000 `e:_`eX# Jp[e\pXe[ 160,000 C`_`i)'',Æ- 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Kfee\jJF) g\ip\Xi Beijing9\`a`e^ SydneyJp[e\p C`_`iLihir C`_`iLihir )''- )'',&- )'', )''- C`_`ii\[lZ\jJF)\d`jj`fejkfXhlXik\i JF)`jefk:F) 9plj`e^^\fk_\idXcgfn\iC`_`i_Xji\[lZ\[ :XiYfe[`fo`[\:F) `jk_\dX`e^Xjk_Xk k_\Xdflekf]JF)\d`kk\[Ypk_\^\e\iXkfij ZXlj\j^cfYXcnXid`e^Xe[Zc`dXk\Z_Xe^\# kffe\hlXik\if]k_\fi`^`eXcXdflek Xe[`j\d`kk\[`e`dd\ej\hlXek`k`\jYp ÇXifle[00(kfee\jg\ip\Xi%:fdgXi\ `e[ljki`XceXk`fej#n`k_k_\LJ8\d`kk`e^ k_`jn`k_k_\Xdflekf]JF)\d`kk\[Ypk_\ _`^_\ihlXek`k`\jk_XeXccfk_\iZfleki`\j%@k mfcZXefKXmlimliXkIXYXlc`e(00+%K_`j `j`dgfikXekkfle[\ijkXe[k_XkXZ`[iX`eXe[ mfcZXefnXj\d`kk`e^XYflk*'#'''kfee\j ^cfYXcnXid`e^Xi\\ek`i\cp[`]]\i\ekgifYc\dj# f]JF)g\i[Xpn_\e`kÔijk\ilgk\[ Xe[Xi\ZXlj\[Yp[`]]\i\ekgfcclkXekj% page Glossary for cloud cycle and acid rain acid / acidity water that has a pH lower (more acidic) than 5 atmosphere the gases that make up the air around us, which extends hundreds of kilometers upwards, but becomes thinner as we go higher.
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