Description
Fireworks create spectacular light shows in celebrations and festivals around the world. These fireworks function by combusting bursting powder and coloring agents, which are specific metals and chemicals depending on desired size and the colors of the fireworks. For example, red, white, and blue colors that are common in New Year’s Eve celebrations might be the result of trace amounts of strontium, titanium, and copper. These colorants and propellants are obtained by resource-specific mineral extraction techniques, and their use leaves transient chemical signatures in the environment, including air, water, and soil. Environmental impacts associated with fireworks depends not just on firework design, but also on local conditions such as soil types, rainfall, and wind speed and direction. During this class, we will discuss some of the resources that light up the night sky and the way geologic process control their movement through the environment.
