CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh

Brown pollution cloud over Edinburgh?

(20 posts)
  • Started 8 years ago by KeepPedalling
  • Latest reply from gembo

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  1. KeepPedalling
    Member

    This lovely weather has given some lovely clear views, but when I am up in the hills it is rather disconcerting to look down on what appears to be a layer of brown pollution covering Edinburgh and all around. Has anyone else noticed this - do you know more about it?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  2. crowriver
    Member

    Not just Edinburgh. Also spotted over the Tay during the sunset this evening, mostly to the west and south of the Tay Bridge.

    Perhaps the high atmospheric pressure, coupled with clear skies, blazing sunshine and little wind has created a cloud of photochemical smog?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  3. SRD
    Moderator

    Walking home from lidl this evening, we were definitely struck by the murk. MrSRD thought it reminiscent of rubbish being burned in Khartoum.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. Klaxon
    Member

    I mentally remarked on the haze hanging over Leith Walk cycling back up from Lidl earlier on as well.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. gembo
    Member

    See other thread about my trip to Dunfermline, huge fog sitch.

    Coming back from Fife today there were great views to the pentlands where there were some fog patches or lower lying cloud not brown and not linked to LIDL

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. Nelly
    Member

    I was on the M9 about 12.30 and there was a huge fire and associated smoke plume on the western pentlands. Smoke was headed toward Edinburgh.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. ih
    Member

    "I had a lovely ride today,thank you." Well, yesterday actually and looking back from the unclassified road that runs in a straight line from Dalkeith to Pathhead, you get a great view of Edinburgh and the Pentlands.....and a thick pall of brown smog blanketing the whole city.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. gembo
    Member

    Muck spreading is my other theory, though admittedly even I don't buy that

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. KeepPedalling
    Member

    Interesting comments thanks. Also two tuesdays ago I was high up near Haddington and again had a similar clear view over the Forth over a yucky brown layer. Almost felt wrong to pedal down into it back towards Edinburgh.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    I blame VW.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. crowriver
    Member

    @Nelly, that would explain the smell of smoke as my train headed into Edinburgh yesterday evening. Very strong smokey smell in Waverley too, mingled with diesel fumes. Lovely!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. crowriver
    Member

    From Wiki:

    "Photochemical smog was first described in the 1950s. It is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone.[14] This noxious mixture of air pollutants may include the following:

    Aldehydes
    Nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen dioxide
    Peroxyacyl nitrates
    Tropospheric ozone
    Volatile organic compounds

    All of these harsh chemicals are usually highly reactive and oxidizing. Photochemical smog is therefore considered to be a problem of modern industrialization. It is present in all modern cities, but it is more common in cities with sunny, warm, dry climates and a large number of motor vehicles.[15] Because it travels with the wind, it can affect sparsely populated areas as well."

    Yum! Suck it up, fellow asthmatics! :-(

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. acsimpson
    Member

    The western ring road was very smoky both on my way out at 6 and home at 10 last night.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. AKen
    Member

    I was up in the hills yesterday evening. There was a large fire of some sort to the west of Currie, with a plume of smoke spreading eastwards without rising very much.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. paulmilne
    Member

    Time to drive through congestion charging, don't bother with a referendum this time, it's a health emergency.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. KeepPedalling
    Member

    Please see this link for the pollution map of Edinburgh.
    http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/latest/?la=city-of-edinburgh
    I am surprised all areas are low when we are seeing and smelling the brown fug. Are the levels set by VW or something!

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. jdanielp
    Member

  18. kaputnik
    Moderator

    The topography of Edinburgh is notorious for trapping in a layer of whatever the city is emitting, particularly in cold, still weather and when there are temperature inversions.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    So what was the fire on Thursday night then, anyone know? After going along St John's Road that evening my clothes actually smelled of smoke when I got home.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. gembo
    Member

    well it was white today from top of harper rig. west lothian in glorious sunshine Edinburgh in fog such that only tip of arthur's seat visible.

    was out with mate coming up for 8 years since he head butted the tarmac at 30mph. he was out once before with me since then mostly off road and flat bar. but today was drop bars and main road. he did well given he is partially paralysed.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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