Ruhr Smog - Pictures and Descriptions Wanted

In this case though we're dealing with potentially different types of particles and possibly a bit different behavior in terms of vertical distribution. Those potential differences and how they play out are something I'm fairly ignorant of. I'm pretty familiar with modern vehicle emission smog and how it looks from the air, though not to the extent that it makes visual navigation any harder. Typically you will have hazy visibility at low altitude that gradually tends to worsen somewhat as you climb, but it usually has a well defined more or less flat top caused by changes in the temperature gradient preventing continued rising of the air, and above that altitude visibility improves markedly.

What I have not seen is this kind of extremely heavy, mainly coal-produced kind of smog. The easy part is getting it to look thick and bad when you're in it. The more important part is to get how it looks when you are outside of the smoggy area and seeing it in the distance. How's the vertical distribution? Is there much noticeable variation in density in the smog when viewed over a large area, or is it uniform? What about the edges of the area? Is there a noticeable border, or not? That's what I don't currently have a handle on. I'm trying to find period pictures of daylight raids to these areas that might give some insight.
 
gecko said:
In this case though we're dealing with potentially different types of particles and possibly a bit different behavior in terms of vertical distribution. Those potential differences and how they play out are something I'm fairly ignorant of. I'm pretty familiar with modern vehicle emission smog and how it looks from the air, though not to the extent that it makes visual navigation any harder. Typically you will have hazy visibility at low altitude that gradually tends to worsen somewhat as you climb, but it usually has a well defined more or less flat top caused by changes in the temperature gradient preventing continued rising of the air, and above that altitude visibility improves markedly.

What I have not seen is this kind of extremely heavy, mainly coal-produced kind of smog. The easy part is getting it to look thick and bad when you're in it. The more important part is to get how it looks when you are outside of the smoggy area and seeing it in the distance. How's the vertical distribution? Is there much noticeable variation in density in the smog when viewed over a large area, or is it uniform? What about the edges of the area? Is there a noticeable border, or not? That's what I don't currently have a handle on. I'm trying to find period pictures of daylight raids to these areas that might give some insight.
Click to expand...
The problem is that WRT coal/industrial smog, not much around for quite a few decades in the West, but still plenty in India and China, even though mixed with vehicle pollution. The latter, unless trapped in a 'bowl, does seem to disperse re;natively quickly.
Have not found any really good high aerial pics from then.


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The Story of the Great Smog of London

From 5 to 9 December 1952, a thick, toxic smog blanketed London.
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British R26 airship flying over London, WW1 Stock Photo - Alamy

Download this stock image: British R26 airship flying over London, WW1 - DRHYRD from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors.
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This more vehicular
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'Toxic Charge' for older cars entering London's Congestion Charge...

'Toxic Charge' for older cars entering London's Congestion Charge Zone announced; 'Toxic Charge' for older cars entering London's Congestion Charge Zone announced; LIB / Smog clouds around City of...
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Image Collections That Show Various Conditions

Typically tall stacks are attempting to inject their exhaust high enough to avoid having it trapped in the surface layer smog, and to provide wider dispersion of the particulates. The tallest stacks are only 1,300 ft, so individual chimney smoke columns over Essen would likely reach up to about 3,000 ft at most before clear air would predominate. The thickest smog layer would probably be limited to about 1,000 ft.

Looking down from above has much less impact than looking horizontally through smog because of the difference in distances you're see through. Local chimney smoke is completely opaque compared to the somewhat translucent area smog so the direction your seeing is from makes little difference.
 
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MajorMagee said:
Image Collections That Show Various Conditions

Typically tall stacks are attempting to inject their exhaust high enough to avoid having it trapped in the surface layer smog, and to provide wider dispersion of the particulates. The tallest stacks are only 1,300 ft, so individual chimney smoke columns over Essen would likely reach up to about 3,000 ft at most before clear air would predominate. The thickest smog layer would probably be limited to about 1,000 ft.

Looking down from above has much less impact than looking horizontally through smog because of the difference in distances you're see through. Local chimney smoke is completely opaque compared to the somewhat translucent area smog so the direction your seeing is from makes little difference.
Click to expand...

But one must take into account that nearly all homes in conurbations had coal or coke fires for heating, although there was coke gas as well, and these did not emit smoke from high chimney stacks. My parents' home in England had coke fired stove and hot water and water radiators, while the living room had a coal fire. Most English houses used water radiators, nothing like USA HVAC systems as we have here, although now many have electrically powered water or oil based radiators..
 
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