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Ammonium Nitrate Chemistry

on November 02, 2020

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Simulating Smog

on May 28, 2020

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The Pollution Pods by artist Michael Pinsky give us a simulated taste of polluted air, helping us learn about global air quality issues. I wrote about them for Pursuit.

Pollution Pods

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Ammonium Nitrate Chemistry

Earlier this year I had an article reprinted in Scientific American , which took me back to my PhD research on ammonium nitrate explosives. Ammonium nitrate on its own is surprisingly difficult to detonate, but major accidental explosions keep occurring. In the aftermath of the Beirut explosion it was great to see many chemical safety experts getting accurate information out about how to safely manage this hazardous chemical.

Bright Orange Plume from Central Queensland Mining Blast

An intense orange plume was captured in spectacular photographs near the mining town of Moranbah. The mine operator, Stanmore Coal, described it as nitrogen combined with oxygen : nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). I spoke to ABC Radio Capricornia about this fume event . Orange gas from a mining blast near Moranbah, May 31 2020. Satellite data from Sentinel-5P's TROPOMI instrument detected a significant amount of NO 2 over Moranbah on the days after the blast, likely representing the cumulative effects of mining explosives in the region. This can be seen in the image below (top left), compared to the major industrial port of Gladstone (bottom right). Plume of nitrogen dioxide over Moranbah (top left), May 31 - June 03, 2020. Sentinel-5P tropospheric NO 2 column in micromoles per square metre, processed with Google Earth Engine.

Nishinoshima Volcano Injecting Sulfur into the Troposphere

In recent weeks the Nishinoshima volcano has been sending plumes of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) almost halfway across the Pacific Ocean. Nishinoshima is a relatively new and active volcanic island located over 900 km off the coast of Japan. On June 15 the Japanese Coast Guard shared images of it erupting , and on June 25 confirmed that it was erupting at a high level of explosivity . Volcanic gases contain lots of sulfur. Highly explosive eruptions have the potential to inject these gases directly into the stratosphere. This is exactly what is happening with Nishinoshima right now, and it can be seen from space courtesy of the TROPOMI instrument aboard the European Space Agency's Sentinel-5P satellite. The image below shows the mean concentration of SO 2 detected at 15 km above sea level over the past week. During this period Nishinoshima represents the largest single stratospheric SO 2 input globally. Multiple distinct plumes of SO 2 are visible, with the largest extending thousands

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