Acid Rain Causes

In the following article we will discuss some of the most prominent acid rain causes in a bid to make you understand how acid rain is caused and how we are contributing to it. Continue reading for more information on acid rain and its causes.

While many people tend to visualize acid rain as an occurrence marked by pure acid falling from the sky, it is a pure misconception on their behalf. Basically, acid rain is a broad term which encompasses certain types of precipitation by which the chemical compounds suspended in the atmosphere come down to the Earth. Forget about what causes acid rain, many people out there don't even have the slightest idea as to what is acid rain. That being said, it is important to understand what acid rain actually is before moving on to understand the details of acid rain causes and effects. What is Acid Rain? In geography, the term acid rain is used to refer to the phenomenon of precipitation wherein the droplets of water coming down to the Earth are characterized by unusually high acidic content. In several cases, the concept of acid rain is used as an attribute of a broader concept known as acid deposition. In this concept, the acidic compounds in the atmosphere come down to Earth in form of rain as well as snowfall, sleet etc. All the lifeforms inhabiting the planet bear the brunt of acid rain. Some of the most prominent acid rain effects include acidification of freshwater sources such as lakes and rivers, damage caused to the plants, depletion in the fertility of the soil, damage to the human built structures etc. When we talk about acid rain effects on plants, we also refer to th effects of this harmful phenomenon on crops. If you are fascinated by science, you will find the chemistry of acid rain equally interesting. The acidic compounds in water are measured in terms of pH value - with low pH value signifying highly acidic nature of the liquid. While pure water has a pH value of 7, normal rain water can have the same ranging between 5.5 to 7. The slight increase in pH value of normal rain water can be attributed to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When the pH value of rain water goes below 5.5 it technically qualifies to be referred acid rain.

Causes of Acid Rain Coming back to acid rain causes, virtually all of them can be attributed to human activities. As we mentioned earlier, acid rain occurs as a result of chemical reaction in the atmosphere. The most common chemicals which contribute to this process are nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide, both of which have the ability to dissolve in water with ease. These chemicals are basically the pollutants which are released in the atmosphere as a result of various human activities. Among the various human activities which contribute to acid rain, the most prominent one is burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity, power vehicles and power industries. Pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are released in the atmosphere in form of exhaust smoke as a result of these activities. Being light in nature, they start ascending in the atmosphere and eventually come in contact with the rain bearing clouds. When these clouds start precipitating, the water droplets come in contact with the chemicals suspended in the atmosphere. The chemicals get dissolved in these water droplets wherein they react with oxygen and other chemicals, and come down to the ground in form of acidic rain. Acid rain can also occur in areas wherein there is less air pollution as these light chemicals are easily guided off by wind to far off places. Other Causes of Acid Rain One of the lesser known facts about acid rain is that it can be caused by oil spills as well. Acid rain caused by oil spill can be attributed to the fact that oil spilled in the ocean tends to evaporate into the atmosphere along with the ocean water. In this process, the particles in oil get suspended in the atmosphere, and eventually come down in form of acidic compounds. Other than these causes, there also exist some natural causes of acid rain in form of volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Those were the details about the causes and effects of acid rain. With so much of damage attributed to acid rain, it is undoubtedly one of the most serious environmental issue we are facing today. In order to curb this phenomenon, we need to identify acid rain causes and eliminate them. While natural causes of acid rain do exist, they are negligible as compared to the human induced causes. The planet has been subjected to acid rain since centuries, but lately it has worsened to a significant extent. It is but obvious that human activities play a major role in the occurrence of acid rain on the planet. Taking into consideration the future implications of acid rain, the onus is on us to make sure that we implement acid rain solutions and stop contributing to this natural hazard, knowingly or unknowingly. By Abhijit Naik Published: 8/25/2010
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