brown cloud
Dirty urban air
Brown cloud refers to a visible layer of air pollution hanging over urban areas, typically a mixture of smog, dust, and vehicle emissions that gives the sky a brownish haze.
The term gained prominence describing pollution over Asian megacities: The brown cloud over Beijing was visible from the plane.
Unlike gray industrial smog, brown clouds contain high levels of soot and nitrogen dioxide, which absorb sunlight and contribute to regional climate effects.
Minute airborne solids or droplets
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- ozoneTriatomic oxygen allotrope
- nitrogen oxidesCombustion byproducts harming air quality
- sulfur dioxideSO₂ gas compound
photochemical · inversion · exhaust · combustion · fossil fuels · industrial · vehicular · carbon monoxide
Murky atmospheric suspension
opaque · horizon · skyline · mountains · distant · reduced · poor · impaired
Colorado's capital city
- Los AngelesSouthern California metropolis
- BeijingChina's seat of government
- Mexico CityCapital of its nation
- cityscapeView of urban architecture
skyline · congestion · traffic · commute · sprawl · metropolis · downtown · smoggy
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- acid rainPolluted atmospheric moisture falling
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
- emissionsSubstances released into air
air pollution · public health · respiratory illness · regulations · Clean Air Act · monitoring · alerts · warnings
particulates
Minute airborne solids or droplets
- emissionsSubstances released into air
- ozoneTriatomic oxygen allotrope
- nitrogen oxidesCombustion byproducts harming air quality
sulfur dioxide · photochemical · inversion · exhaust · combustion · fossil fuels · industrial · vehicular · carbon monoxide · respiratory
haze
Murky atmospheric suspension
shrouded · opaque · horizon · skyline · mountains · distant · reduced · poor · impaired · foggy
Denver
Colorado's capital city
- Los AngelesSouthern California metropolis
- BeijingChina's seat of government
- Mexico CityCapital of its nation
cityscape · skyline · congestion · traffic · commute · sprawl · metropolis · downtown · smoggy · valley
climate change
Planetary atmospheric transformation
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- acid rainPolluted atmospheric moisture falling
- carbon footprintTotal greenhouse gases produced
emissions · air pollution · public health · respiratory illness · regulations · Clean Air Act · monitoring · alerts · warnings · environmental justice