Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
Orange
sky ? Smoke particles high in the
atmosphere scatter short blue light, only letting longer red-orange waves
through to the surface. The result is a dark orange day, even at noon.
Healthy
air quality ? Smoke is on top of a layer of marine fog,
which preserves air quality.
Disruption of Circadian rhythm ? An internal clock called the circadian clock drives rhythm in our bodies, such as sleep for example. This is the reason we feel jet lagged when traveling across time zones. Likewise, though perhaps just once in a lifetime, a dark orange day definitely baffles circadian rhythms.
References
Cabanatuan, M. & Rubenstein, S. (Sept. 9, 2020) Apocalyse on their mind: Bay Area awakes to foreboding, orange, smoke-choked skies. San Francisco Chronicle https://tinyurl.com/y4tpj47o
Calima, J. & V. Pavic (photographer) (Sept 9, 2020) The sky is on fire in San Francisco, and we flew a drone through it. The Verge https://tinyurl.com/y4ae6g2s
Martichoux, A. & L. Gee (09-09-2020) Here's why the sky looks so orange, even though Bay Area air quality isn't terrible. https://tinyurl.com/y6kn2xsy
