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Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH).Most water, including drinking water, has a neutral pH that exists between 6.5 and 8.5, but acid rain has a pH level lower than this and ranges from 4–5 on average.
However, rain combines with sulfur dioxide, released by volcanic vents, and forms acid rain. The pH level of the rain, as low as 3.4 during an eruption, inhibits plant growth. [2] Furthermore, water evaporates quickly on the ground and the tephra soil is extremely permeable. [3]
Diagram depicting the sources and cycles of acid rain precipitation. Freshwater acidification occurs when acidic inputs enter a body of fresh water through the weathering of rocks, invasion of acidifying gas (e.g. carbon dioxide), or by the reduction of acid anions, like sulfate and nitrate within a lake, pond, or reservoir. [1]
Water has turned pink at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge amid extreme drought and brightly hued bacteria.
On windward coasts, many brief showers are common, not one of which is heavy enough to produce more than 0.01 in (0.25 mm) of rain. The usual run of trade wind weather yields many light showers in the lowlands, whereas torrential rains are associated with a sudden surge in the trade winds or with a major storm.
On March 14, 2006, a torrent of over 300 million gallons of water cut a path of destruction and killed seven people when the Ka Loko Dam on Kauai's north shore gave way after 40 days of heavy rain.
The principal cause of alkaline rain are emissions from factories and waste deposits. Mineral dust containing large amounts of alkaline compounds such as calcium carbonate can also increase the pH of precipitation and contribute to basic rain. [3] Alkaline rain can be viewed as opposite to acid rain.
When an acid is dissolved in water, the pH will be less than 7, while a base, or alkali, will have a pH greater than 7. A strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid, at concentration 1 mol dm −3 has a pH of 0, while a strong alkali like sodium hydroxide, at the same concentration, has a pH of 14. Since pH is a logarithmic scale, a difference of ...