Colour shading of SO2
-
@J42ds
You probably mean that the SO2 content seems to be higher, as there are more red areas on the map. But it is similar to the data source (CAMS).
It is important to underline that these maps are not at ground level but it is the total SO2 amount in a column from ground to the top of atmosphere.
-
Thanks. I am in Australia (Melbourne). I have never seen so much red on the map. A couple of days ago, the reading at my location was around 1 and the forecast was for a wind change to an Easterly, which would blow the SO2 towards me.
At the moment it’s showing a level of 18 mg/m2, which is way above the forecasted level. (I do understand that this is per m2 and not per m3, so a value for the whole column).
I’m trying to understand where all the extra SO2 has come from. Volcanic activity??
-
@J42ds
Yes, there is pretty much more red in the SO2 layer than usually.
But it is difficult to know why.
Burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial plants is the main cause of SO2 emission. Volcanic activity is another source of SO2.What is more strange to me is the big difference between the CO displayed by Copernicus and by Windy
In Windy there is much less CO over Africa than over India and China. The Copernicus map does not reflects the same differences.
How to explain this ? -
-
@Caefix Thanks. This is interesting info.
FYI: I have a food allergy associated with Sulfites (i.e. SO2 derived preservatives). I have a pretty strong suspicion that I am also affected by high airborne SO2 levels. -
@J42ds
It would be better to check the Air quality station in Melbourne. Unfortunately they all display Particulate matter (PM) but not SO2. There is one in Geelong displaying SO2 content.
The SO2 layer as already said is not the SO2 at ground level.
-
@J42ds said in Colour shading of SO2:
Thanks. I am in Australia (Melbourne). I have never seen so much red on the map. A couple of days ago, the reading at my location was around 1 and the forecast was for a wind change to an Easterly, which would blow the SO2 towards me.
At the moment it’s showing a level of 18 mg/m2, which is way above the forecasted level. (I do understand that this is per m2 and not per m3, so a value for the whole column).
I’m trying to understand where all the extra SO2 has come from. Volcanic activity??
That's a really insightful observation, and you're right to dig deeper into this — seeing such a spike in SO₂ levels, especially jumping from 1 to 18 mg/m², is definitely unusual and concerning. The sudden rise could indeed be linked to volcanic activity, particularly from eruptions in the region (like Indonesia or Tonga), where prevailing winds can transport SO₂ over long distances, even reaching southern Australia. It's also possible that atmospheric conditions, like a temperature inversion or lack of dispersion, could be concentrating it more than forecasted. Monitoring wind patterns and satellite data for volcanic plumes can help explain these anomalies. Appreciate you sharing — it’s like piecing together a complex recipe from the atmosphere’s menu!
-
@J42ds said in Colour shading of SO2:
Thanks. I am in Australia (Melbourne). I have never seen so much red on the map. A couple of days ago, the reading at my location was around 1 and the forecast was for a wind change to an Easterly, which would blow the SO2 towards me.
At the moment it’s showing a level of 18 mg/m2, which is way above the forecasted level. (I do understand that this is per m2 and not per m3, so a value for the whole column).
I’m trying to understand where all the extra SO2 has come from. Volcanic activity??
I have the same question — I’ve noticed lately that SO₂ shading on maps looks much darker/more intense than I remember. Some users have pointed out the same visual shift.
-
@benclarkee
I don’t think that the color scale for SO2 are dramatically changed.
See a post from 2021. -
Thanks for the clarification! I appreciate the quick response. I must’ve just noticed the difference more prominently today it looked a lot darker than usual, so I wondered if something had changed recently. I’ll check out the 2021 post you mentioned for reference. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!
