What+Is+Acid+Rain?

=__What is Acid Rain?__ = = "Acid rain" is a broad term which refers to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere that contains higher than normal levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. The chemicals of acid rain can result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all sulfur dioxide and 1/4 of all nitrogen oxides come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels such as coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to make various acidic compounds. The result of this is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds can blow these compounds across states and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of miles, meaning the acid rain can occur far from the source of it. =