Weather Effects of Air Quality
Educating our community about air quality.
Weather and Air Quality
How Does Weather Affect Air Quality?
Air Pressure
Poor air quality is greatly affected by pressure. Low pressure systems, characterized by high winds, move air pollutants from one area to another, while high pressure systems, where air is stagnant, allow for the buildup of pollutants in one area.
Temperature
During the winter, warm air that rises creates a lid that traps cold air and pollutants under the surface. This is called a thermal inversion, and it allows pollutants to become concentrated in an area.
Some pollutants become hazardous under sunlight. Ozone, for example, is the most dangerous when exposed to extreme heat waves. Heat and stagnant air both contribute to drought and wildfires, which in turn contribute to poor air quality. Luckily, humidity can help decrease pollution during the summer months.
How Does Air Quality Affect Weather?
Global Warming
Global Warming is a byproduct of industrial processes that produce greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include carbon monoxide and nitrous oxides, as well as others. These gases trap the sun's heat and cause the planet to warm up. Higher concentrations of pollutants in the air cause larger clouds to form, altering the traditional precipitation patterns of the earth by making it rain more.
Extreme pollutant concentrations, such as those seen with smoke, block the sun's light, cooling down the earth and lowering the amount of rainfall. These particles in the air are hazards to the population and must be dealt with if we want to avoid the long-term health problems our community will face in the future. Black carbon is a dark colored pollutant created by burning fossil fuels, and it traps the sun’s heat, contributing to global warming. Air pollution and weather both affect each other, but the effects of air pollution can be severe. It is important to maintain air pollution to keep the climate safe and stable.