One More orange skies have been observed in São Paulo in recent days . The scene, which may even be beautiful to the eyes, actually occurs as a result of the layer of pollution accumulated over the city, as well as by effect of burned most frequent. The dry weather It favors both the accumulation of particles and the emergence of forest fires and demands more attention to health care.
The more orange color than usual occurs because the red frequency, emitted by the Sun, has less interaction with pollution particles, such as dust and smoke. Due to pollution, it is now possible to see the reflection of a frequency that is not so apparent under normal conditions, according to Climatempo meteorologist César Soares.
“In the same way that the oxygen composition of the atmosphere highlights the blue color of the sky, pollution particles highlight the red tones,” says the expert.
Meteorologist Franco Vilella also explains that pollution particles suspended in the atmosphere change the atmospheric refraction index, which causes the scattering of sunlight to occur in the red color, the so-called “Rayleigh scattering”.
“The closer to sunset and the horizon, the greater the layer of atmosphere that the sun’s ray has to pass through to reach our eye, because the sun is ‘lower’. So it becomes more reddish, because the sun’s ray encounters more particulate matter (pollution) before reaching our eye,” he says.
Drought is another factor that influences the appearance of the phenomenon, since rain and wind “clean” pollution particles from the atmosphere. In addition, fires can also affect the color of the sky, as they release carbon into the atmosphere, which also causes the same effect as pollution.
“As we are not having frequent rains in several areas of Brazil, what is transported (in the atmosphere) is more particles and carbon in suspension, and because of the fires we have a more favorable condition”, says Soares.
The combination of pollution, drought and fires causes impacts that go far beyond the color of the sky, and can even affect human health. Symptoms such as dry throat, irritation of the airways, burning eyes and, in more extreme cases, even heart and lung problems are not uncommon.
What meteor showers are still happening in 2024? See the calendar
This content was originally published in Why is the sky more orange? Drought and pollution help explain on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
