Don't eat the orange snow.

[DQuaN]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6323611.stm

Weird stuff. What chemical compounds turn yellowy orange when oxidised? Iron is one. It must be some kind of pollution in the atmosphere.

 

[Famine]

Probably something sulphur-related. It's near the centre of Russia's oil industry and sulphur is renowned for its "rotten smell".

 

[kennythebomb]

How would it be in the chemical compound of snow though? During the processes of the rain cycle, wouldn't sulphur drop out of the particle?

 

[Shannon]

How would it be in the chemical compound of snow though? During the processes of the rain cycle, wouldn't sulphur drop out of the particle?

Not exactly. If that were the case, we wouldn't get acid rain either...

 

[kennythebomb]

Not exactly. If that were the case, we wouldn't get acid rain either...

I must admit I don't really know how acid rain or sulphur snow happen.

 

[Touring Mars]

It's husky wee-wee, obviously...

 

[Philly]

It has to be something soluble in water.

Either that or the cat in the hat struck back, this time with Orange. Dispatch cat Z!!!

 

[Omnis]

Probably something sulphur-related. It's near the centre of Russia's oil industry and sulphur is renowned for its "rotten smell".

I agree. Sulphur (Sulfur?) melts red, so that red dispersed over the water and into the snow could certainly make it orange, right?

 

[Gen.]

It's urine from an infected bladder that is leaking blood thus making the standard yellow piss orange.

Thread Over.

 

[ExigeEvan]

How would it be in the chemical compound of snow though? During the processes of the rain cycle, wouldn't sulphur drop out of the particle?

Acid rain is formed as the rain particles are in the atmosphere or falling and mix with the air pollution.

The same could easily happen with this.

Big snow clouds travel over dirty Russian refinery pumping our sulphur compounds (and impurity of coal and I think un/badly refined oil.), snow falls, and smelly yellow snow you get.


That's as far as my GCSEs in Biology and Chemistry got me.

 

[land sea air]

But this is a new thing isn't it? I don't recall ever hearing of orange snow before,
so perhaps it is something more unusual? [/conspiracy theory]

 

[Danny]

I imagine the cause to be hilarious, whatever it is.

 

[ExigeEvan]

But this is a new thing isn't it? I don't recall ever hearing of orange snow before,
so perhaps it is something more unusual? [/conspiracy theory]

Damn you cracked it.

The truth is world war 3 is right now being fought with paintballs so that they can have a huge fight with no-one getting hurt. But just you wait, someone will get shot in the nutsack, shout foul play and bring out nukes.

 

[Kelvari]

Damn you cracked it.

The truth is world war 3 is right now being fought with paintballs

I'd pay good money to see that

 

[dylansan]

Russia has a history of colored snow. They've had yellow, red, green, blue, and pink snow drifts. Apparantly cyclones from far away brought colored dust into the clouds.

 

[ND4SPD]

Heh, maybe a cloud of radiation from chernobyl is still lingering around Russia.....

 

[Omnis]

Any responses to my melted-sulfur idea?

 

[Sharky.]

What chemical compounds turn yellowy orange when oxidised?

Chromium.

Actually, that might be when Cr(3+) is reduced it goes yellowy-orange. Not oxidised. :|

 

[Famine]

Chromium.

Actually, that might be when Cr(3+) is reduced it goes yellowy-orange. Not oxidised. :|

Dichromate compounds are usually orangey. But not commonly used in the oil industry - in the steel industry, yes, but not the oil industry.

 

[Sharky.]

Sort of owned by Famine. Class.