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Soot (Magnified)
Caption:
Scanning electron microscope image of soot. This particle was collected along a highway in Scottsdale, Arizona as part of a research study being conducted by Arizona State University researchers on the flow of air pollution in the Phoenix Metro area. Dust kicked up by road traffic creates a large proportion of the particles. Others are the combustion products of gasoline or diesel fuel, sometimes in combination with dust. [Image 3 of 4 related images; see also, Soil Dust, Soil Dust with Soot, and Rubber Particle.]
More about this Image
Scientists such as Joe Fernando, a professor of engineering and director of the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Program at Arizona State University study the results of field and laboratory experiments to learn about the composition and flow of pollutants in urban areas. Fieldwork was conducted in both winter and summer because pollution patterns can very according to season.
Fernando is the lead investigator of two interdisciplinary pollution studies in the Phoenix Metro area. These studies were originally supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The U.S. Department of Energy is providing additional funding for further analysis of the data. The intent of the project is to study the flow of air pollution in cities with what is called “complex terrain” -- terrain with mountains and other irregular features.
The goal of this research is not just to study what’s in the air, but also to understand and, ultimately, predict how it moves. The ASU scientists use both laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling to understand the complex flow of pollutants in three dimensions over time.
(Preview Only)
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| Credit: |
Credit Hua Xin, Ph.D., Arizona State University |
| Decade of Image: |
2000 - 2009 |
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Categories:
BIOLOGICAL / Environmental
Formats Available:
Restrictions:
No additional restrictions--beyond NSF's general restrictions--have been placed on this image. For a list of general restrictions that apply to this and all images in the NSF Image Library, see the section "Conditions".
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