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Foam on road after first rain: What is it?
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Joerg
Oct 3, 2016, 5:26:51 PM10/3/16
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On the ride yesterday I got soaked and hailed upon. First rain after
about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
laundry detergent.
This was present on almost all roads so it's not oils from resurfacing
(as explained in some Internet links I found). I also rode a stretch
where only few cars but also some airplanes taxi and to my surprise that
road had no foam at all.
What is it? Coolant? Something else from motor vehicles?
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
laundry detergent.
This was present on almost all roads so it's not oils from resurfacing
(as explained in some Internet links I found). I also rode a stretch
where only few cars but also some airplanes taxi and to my surprise that
road had no foam at all.
What is it? Coolant? Something else from motor vehicles?
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH
Oct 3, 2016, 9:41:26 PM10/3/16
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ambergris
jbeattie
Oct 4, 2016, 10:21:39 AM10/4/16
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-- Jay Beattie.
Doug Landau
Oct 4, 2016, 12:25:44 PM10/4/16
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Doug Landau
Oct 4, 2016, 12:46:49 PM10/4/16
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On Monday, October 3, 2016 at 2:26:51 PM UTC-7, Joerg wrote:
http://projects.sgvtribune.com/blue-green-algae/
Doug Landau
Oct 4, 2016, 1:32:01 PM10/4/16
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On Monday, October 3, 2016 at 6:41:26 PM UTC-7, DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH wrote:
> ambergris
Sperm whale spode? In Auburn?!?
> ambergris
Sperm whale spode? In Auburn?!?
Gregory Sutter
Oct 4, 2016, 3:11:30 PM10/4/16
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On 2016-10-03, Joerg <ne...@analogconsultants.com> wrote:
> On the ride yesterday I got soaked and hailed upon. First rain after
> about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
> there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
> of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
> Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
> laundry detergent.
Oils are released over time from the asphalt, along with plant
> On the ride yesterday I got soaked and hailed upon. First rain after
> about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
> there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
> of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
> Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
> laundry detergent.
oils/terpenes (in your area, probably pine oil) and oils that may
have accumulated from automotive spills. Water on the road brings
them all to the surface, where the mechanical action of car tires
froths them into a foamy emulsion.
--
Gregory S. Sutter Mostly Harmless
mailto:gsu...@zer0.org
http://zer0.org/~gsutter/
Joerg
Oct 4, 2016, 3:39:51 PM10/4/16
to
On 2016-10-04 12:11, Gregory Sutter wrote:
> On 2016-10-03, Joerg <ne...@analogconsultants.com> wrote:
>> On the ride yesterday I got soaked and hailed upon. First rain after
>> about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
>> there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
>> of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
>> Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
>> laundry detergent.
>
> Oils are released over time from the asphalt, along with plant
> oils/terpenes (in your area, probably pine oil) and oils that may
> have accumulated from automotive spills. Water on the road brings
> them all to the surface, where the mechanical action of car tires
> froths them into a foamy emulsion.
>
Aha, thanks. That could be it because it only happened on well-traveled
> On 2016-10-03, Joerg <ne...@analogconsultants.com> wrote:
>> On the ride yesterday I got soaked and hailed upon. First rain after
>> about six dry months. No big deal but as I rode on through some rain
>> there was an immense amount of white foam floating down toward the side
>> of the road. I slowed down but lots of that still splashed onto my legs.
>> Where there were gutters it looked like someone had dropped a package of
>> laundry detergent.
>
> Oils are released over time from the asphalt, along with plant
> oils/terpenes (in your area, probably pine oil) and oils that may
> have accumulated from automotive spills. Water on the road brings
> them all to the surface, where the mechanical action of car tires
> froths them into a foamy emulsion.
>
roads. There was none on bike baths or on the aircraft taxi road I used
(legally). We do get a lot of pine dust from the Yosemite area. It's
yellow but after being massaged into the asphalt and then washed out
again, who knows.
Joerg
Oct 4, 2016, 3:40:21 PM10/4/16
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DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH
Oct 4, 2016, 7:37:42 PM10/4/16
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