Bay Area researchers hope to unlock the secrets of coastal fog - and understand how it's affected by climate change and pollution

"With a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the Heising-Simon Foundation, the Pacific Coastal Fog Research project is poised to lift the veil on the rather mysterious meteorological phenomenon. The scientists will record the fog's chemical composition, examine how it helps support redwood forests and other ecosystems, and look at the possible effects of climate change and pollution from human activities."

"Starting in the spring, they will head out to locations on the coast from San Diego to Humboldt County, carrying towering fog collectors and a slew of sensors measuring temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation. "It's the first time we have been funded to carry out interdisciplinary research at a scale that really allows us to answer fundamental questions regarding coastal fog dynamics and impacts on ecosystems," Baguskas said."

A five-year, $3.7 million project will study California coastal fog across the state. Five teams will deploy towering fog collectors and sensors from San Diego to Humboldt County to measure temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation. Covariance towers will continuously measure carbon and water concentrations for site-to-site comparisons. The project will record fog chemical composition, assess how fog supports redwood forests and other ecosystems, and evaluate effects of climate change and human-caused pollution. Coordinated measurements will link fog events with ecosystem responses to clarify fog dynamics and impacts.

Read at The Mercury News