Question

How can coal-burning power plants in the Midwest cause acid precipitation in New York?

Answer 1

Answer:

It is largely due to prevailing winds that guide coal emissions from the Midwest to the North Atlantic and the Northeast.

Acid rain is caused by two gases rising into the air in great quantities: sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide. Those two gases are both produced by coal-firing plants.

The Midwest produces a large proportion of the coal that is produced in the U.S. Thus, wind patterns guide those gases towards the Northeast where they are absorbed in the atmosphere and acidify the rain.