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Document Title: Smog in Denver (DI00420)
Description: Trapped by an inversion, a thick blanket of pollution, or brown cloud, hangs in the distance over Denver, Colorado. Photochemical smog, as the brownish-yellow haze is called, results from the action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides (formed by internal combustion engines) and hydrocarbons (gasoline vapors that escape unburned). The nitrogen oxides react with the hydrocarbons and other gases to form ozone, the primary ingredient of the smog that irritates the eyes and throat. Scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, universities, and state agencies have investigated both the chemical composition of the brown cloud and its daily movements.
Creditline: copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Keywords: DI00420,pollution,brown cloud,Denver,smog,air pollution,automobile emissions
Filename: DI00420.tif