Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Sulfur research <br /> <br />Sulfur emissions and other <br />pollutants trom natural gas plants <br />may inadvertently be modifying the <br />weather. <br />Statistical analysis of data on crop <br />insurance and gas plant emissions, <br />lor instance. suggests emissions <br />may be decreasing hail. One possi. <br />ble explanation is Ihat gas plant <br />emissions are producing an abun. <br />dance 01 cloud condensation nuclei <br />thaI inhibit the growth of water <br />drops. which in turn slows the <br />prOcess of hail growth. Another <br />possibility is that emissions poison <br />natural ice nuclei, leading to fewer <br />hailstones. <br /> <br />This most recent project began <br />with a detailed analysis of historical <br />crop damage dala upwind and <br />downwind of a nalural gas process- <br />ing plant. Results show hail crop <br />damage in the downwind areas has <br />been decreasing since the late <br />1950s. <br />Measurements using the research <br />aircraft indicate a significantly <br />greater number of sulfate particles <br />downwind of the plant. Since sulfate <br />particles are excellent condensation <br />nuclei, these observations suggest <br />sulfur emissions may affect the <br />cloud formation process. More <br />measurements are needed, <br /> <br />however. particularly those relating <br />to the transport and dispersion of <br />sulfate into the clouds and the <br />transformation of sulfur in the <br />presence of water. <br />A project for Alberta Environment <br />is also underway to study the effects <br />of weather on the pOSSible move. <br />ment of sulfur dioxide emissions <br />from manufacturing plants in the <br />Fort McMurray area. <br /> <br />The research aircraft is used in ex- <br />periments for Alberta Environment to <br />measure the dispersal of emissions <br />from industrial smoke stacks. <br /> <br />