Earth ID: 20012

Pollution Increases Summer Precipitation

Animations by Susan Twardy Released on December 9, 2003

In summer, weaker winds move the clouds more slowly. Heat absorbed by the city and pollution's interference with raindrop formation interact to cause the clouds to intensify before producing precipitation. The onset of rainfall from a cloud leads eventually to its demise by cooling off the air near the ground. the air pollution delays the onset of precipitation, so that the intense storm clouds can build higher and larger before they start precipitating and subsequently dissipating. Therefore, these larger and more intense thunderstorm clouds produce eventually heavier rainfall on the city and the downwind areas. First is the unpolluted, then the polluted case.

Animation Credits

Susan Twardy (HTSI): Lead Animator
Daniel Rosenfeld (Hebrew University): Scientist
Kathryn A. Stofer: Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20012

Goddard TV Tape:
G2003-067

Keywords:
SVS >> Byrne
SVS >> Coastal City
SVS >> Gonnelli
SVS >> Pollution
SVS >> Rainfall
SVS >> Urban
SVS >> Winter
GCMD >> Earth Science
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Atmosphere >> Precipitation
NASA Science >> Earth

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0