I have a couple more pictures I want to show you of the views from the Embassy Suites Hotel, one for today and one for next week. Today's picture isn't very exciting, but it illustrates one of the problems that is synonymous with Los Angeles—smog.
Smog was an issue in this area long before cars arrived. The name given to this area by the Chumash tribe of Native Americans translates to "the valley of smoke" because of the smog from native campfires.
Part of the problem is that the smog has nowhere to go and very little rain to wash it away. Los Angeles lies in a basin, surrounded by the ocean on one side and mountains on the other sides. These mountains, along with a variety of other geographic and weather conditions, hold our smog in.
You'll notice that the higher you look, the bluer the sky is. On a day like today, with relatively mild smog, you don't even realize the smog is there until you see it in the distance.
Interesting that smog predates cars in LA. Beirut has a similar problem--weather blows in from the west, hits the mountains just to the east of the city , and brown *yuck* hangs in the air until it rains.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes, dust blows in from Egypt too.
I did not know that.
ReplyDeleteNo such problems where I live, although it's a foggy morning today.
Mary Ann, that's what I should've titled this post -- The brown yuck!
ReplyDeleteSteffe, I can hardly imagine how clear your skies must be!
Never knew that about LA.
ReplyDeleteSame grey skies above Moscow, but we have winds which help a lot.