In this issue

	ECOS Issue 16

Tackling Sydney’s smog
The word ?smog? has undergone a major change of meaning in recent years. It was coined early this century to describe the choking mixtures of smoke and fog that had long afflicted London and other cities where large amounts of coal were burnt. Today it is used more often to describe something quite different: the ?photochemical? air pollution first recognized in Los Angeles after World War II and now one of the most serious environmental problems in many of the world?s cities — including Sydney, the subject if this article.
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Getting to the bottom of a water resource Blue Lake is precious to the citizens of Mount Gambier, in the south-eastern corner of South Australia. Not only is this strikingly coloured natural feature a considerable tourist attraction, it also supplies the city?s water. Download Article

Rainmaking; the state of the art
For thousands of years in Australia, conjuring up drought-breaking rain was a spiritual art, practised in Aboriginal rainmaking ceremonies. Then, for a short time after February 5, 1947, when the first rain produced by cloud seeding fell near Bathurst, N.S.W., science was hailed as the instrument that would rid Australia of its recurring droughts. But, of course, it hasn't happened.
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Ammonia strippers on trial People don?t like scummy blooms of algae in their lakes. Often they become particularly incensed if sewage coming from towns up-river causes the blooms. Download Article

Sharp pictures from Landsat are now available The first photographs of Australia received from NASA's Landsat satellites were a disappointment. Definition was poor, and it seemed that views from an altitude of 900 km, despite their breathtaking perspective, would not find many practical uses. Download Article

Oil from coal — 3 years on After 3 years? research, the pyrolysis technique under investigation by CSIRO teams in Sydney and Melbourne as a means of making oil from coal continues to look promising. ECOS reported the aims of the project in August 1975, shortly after the work began. This article is a progress report. Download Article

Arboviruses — hidden hitchhikers Four years ago an epidemic of Australian (or Murray Valley) encephalitis swept across the continent, covering an unprecedented area. Of the 58 cases reported, 12 died and the remaining 46 became so ill they had to receive treatment in hospital. Consequently, the disease received a great deal of public attention. Download Article

What whips up a tornado’s whirl? ?It came with a roar like an express train.? Thus people commonly describe the sound of approaching tornadoes. The roar, of course, comes from their winds, which may reach 350 km per hour. Download Article