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Catastrophic Chinese Floods Triggered By Air Pollution
sciencehabit writes: The worst flooding to hit China in 50 years may have been caused by air pollution, according to a new study. Soot in particular contributed to the catastrophic flooding. It prevented rainclouds from forming over the Sichuan basin, which is surrounded by mountains that trap smoke billowing from its industrial centers, and is 'notorious' for its dirty air. That in turn lead to more intense rainfall in the mountains that evening, which eventually led to the massive flooding.
Doesn't particulate matter seed clouds?
Fan and her co-authors ran two forecasts for the weather system that passed over the Sichuan basin during the peak of the floods: one with the thick blanket of smoke that covered the region and one with the kind of clean air that existed 40 years ago, before the Chinese economic boom. In the clean air model, moist air at Earth’s surface was heated by the daytime sun, became buoyant, and rose to great heights, triggering a convective cycle that led to storm clouds and mild daytime rainfall. But in the dirty air model, the dark veil over the plain soaked up much of the sun’s warmth high in the atmosphere, while simultaneously cooling the streets and fields below. This altered thermal structure stabilized the daytime atmosphere and suppressed rainfall. But as night fell, the moist air mass moved northward toward the Longmen Mountains, which tower some 2000 meters above the basin. The weather system that had been building energy over the plains for 12 hours was driven upward as it collided with the range’s steep contours, triggering the postponed convection. A day’s worth of rainfall from the plains was focused into a few hours over a handful of mountain valleys.
We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
Sometimes, the aerosol particles in smoke can reduce or delay rain. Sometimes, they can make thunderstorms more intense.
Now where have I heard this kind of reasoning before?
Many examples of natural science?
Donald Trump must be right when he says it was made up by the Chinese.
My theory says X is responsible for Y, except when it's responsible for NOT "Y".
My theory accounts for all outcomes!
A Rush song?
We play the game with the bravery of being out of range
Catastrophic Chinese FOODS triggered by air pollution.
I could believe that.
I can't tell if you're actually a conservative or a clever troll.
I am pretty sure the actual cause of the floods... was water.
Also, if they'd just let it float across the Pacific to California, like it used to, it'd solve a lot of problems for everyone.
Someone's unreasonably perturbed.
clever is a stretch.
If you're referring to YYZ, then yes.
If you're NOT referring to YYZ, then yes.
I am pretty sure the actual cause of the floods... was water.
Also, if they'd just let it float across the Pacific to California, like it used to, it'd solve a lot of problems for everyone.
I think the OP's intention was to suggest California about turn on their attempts to lower the SMOG levels.
Whatever it is, it's definitely flamebait. Modded as such.
Either way, my theory can account for it!
It predicts all outcomes!
... and the green grass grows all around all around, and the green grass grows all around
But in the dirty air model, the dark veil over the plain soaked up much of the sun's warmth high in the atmosphere, while simultaneously cooling the streets and fields below. This altered thermal structure stabilized the daytime atmosphere and suppressed rainfall.
But as night fell, the moist air mass moved northward toward the Longmen Mountains, which tower some 2000 meters above the basin. The weather system that had been building energy over the plains for 12 hours was driven upward as it collided with the range's steep contours, triggering the postponed convection. A day's worth of rainfall from the plains was focused into a few hours over a handful of mountain valleys.
I know, I know... "Read the article" blah blah...
=Smidge=
I grew up in Los Angles, and the first thing I thought of when I RTFM was that it sounded like an inversion layer. Checking with Wikipedia, I found that it's probably caused by Capping inversion. In fact, I'm almost a tad astonished that none of the climate scientists involved in the study recognized it, although it's possible that none of them came from an area that's subject to such things and had no first-hand experience with the phenomenon.
Good, inexpensive web hosting
My theory says X is responsible for Y, then I make sure my theory is consistent by throwing out all the times when I got NOT Y, because I know better than nature! My model is FLAWLESS!!
My theory predicts only the outcomes I accept as possible outcomes, because my theory says that those are the only possible outcomes and my theory is RIGHT! You need to have FAITH in my theory!
So one could say we need more pollution in CA to get over the drought?
I read the Headline as "Catastrophic Chinese FOODS Triggered By Air Pollution"
I thought "Yeah, I didn't feel too well after eating at the Chinese Buffet the other day; but WTF?!?"
It is a shame that I can't be both.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
Not all conservatives are religious idiots, just the great bulk and loudest of them.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
It rained a whole days worth of rain in a few hours, and that was catastrophic. But I guess inability to read is okay as long as you are trying to look smart?
Those are Socialist units! How many Libraries Of Congress is that...and how does it compare to the size of Texas?
I always wondered what Colbert's persona would be like if he had no sense of comedy or style. Now I know.
Am I the only one who read the title as "Catastrophic Chinese Foods Triggered By Air Pollution", and I am thinking, how does food cause pollution? That must have been some nasty food. ;-)
The number one cause of flooding in China is, and has been for a long time, that the ability of the watershed to retain water and let it move through slowly has been degraded by some of the longest-term use of the plow on the face of the planet. The Loess Plateau, the original homeland of the Han people, shows some of the most horrific erosion ever. It's been reduced to near-desert conditions, and rainwater washes off from it unabsorbed, carrying silt, right into the river that's called Yellow because of just that.
Air pollution just adds to this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
It actually is both. Perception is all there is.
"a whole days worth of rain" is entirely subjective. A heavy rainfall for a few hours in one place is almost certainly going to translate to a heavy rainfall for a few hours in a slightly different place.
Did anyone else read "Catastrophic Chinese Food..."?
You're a special kind of idiot, and not even funny despite trying so hard. When I invent a time machine I will find all four of your great grandfathers and kick them in the cock a couple of times to do the world a favor.
Idiots have a right to exist too. I'm wondering though, even accepting the desirability of genetic sanitation, whether neutering all four of his great-grandfathers doesn't introduce too much redundancy?
Ouch!