Acid rain is one of the results of our impact on the earth. It is important to understand what exactly Acid Rain refers to and how it is brought about.
Acid Rain can occur in many forms like rain, sleet, snow and fog. Precipitation combined with chemical emissions results in the formation of Acid Rain. Acid Rain contrary to popular belief can also be in the form of dry deposits. This is known as sulphur dioxide gases or nitrogen salts. Dry deposition causes destruction to the environment but wet deposition destruction is more widespread. Deposits have been known to show up as far as 1000km away from it's most likely source. These deposits are carried along moving weather systems and settle in various locations.
The term Acid Rain does not entirely mean as a result of pollution or other man made factor. Natural rainwater falls on the acid side of the pH scale without the effects of pollution. Nature has it's own ability to neutralize the acidity in precipitation. Therefore when pollution increases the level of acidity, the natural buffers are depleted more rapidly, thus decreasing the environment's ability to neutralize the acid. Unfortunately this decrease in ability increases the amount of damage inflicted upon the environment by these destructive chemicals.
Each region has it's own variable neutralizing ability, depending upon the surrounding bedrock's sensitivity to the acidity levels. Lakes that have soil rich in limestone fair far better then lakes that do not. Without the limestone rich soil, the ability to neutralize the acid is diminished greatly. As well marble bedrock provides a greater source naturally for this process then that of granite bedrock, which has the poorest ability.
When coals and oils are burned or a natural occurrence like a volcanic eruption takes place, the pollutions rise into the atmosphere. They are then changed through natural chemical reactions to the already existing water in the atmosphere. This change results in the formation of sulphuric and nitric acid....thus Acid Rain!
The causes of Acid Rain stem from both natural and human activities. Natural sources of chemical emissions include bacterial action in soils, volcanic eruptions and degasing oceanic plankton. Causes impacted by man vary from burning coal, oil and fossil fuels. As well smoke from factories and materials like asbestos from insulating processes contribute to it's development.
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