Vog

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vɒɡ/

Definitions

1. A type of atmospheric contamination that arises from the interaction of volcanic gases with moisture and sunlight, resulting in reduced air quality and a hazy appearance
2. An environmental phenomenon characterized by the merging of volcanic emissions with humidity and solar radiation, leading to a dense, misty condition that can impact health
3. A unique form of air pollution produced when volcanic gases react with humidity and sunlight, creating a thick haze that affects visibility and air quality

Etymology: Volcanic fog is a blend of two older words, and the blend itself is the point. "Vog" joins "volcano" and "fog," and it was modelled on "smog," which had been coined earlier by merging "smoke" and "fog." So the word is a second-generation blend: a pattern that English had already used for smoky city air, now applied to the haze that drifts from erupting volcanoes. The chemistry is what makes the coinage fit. Volcanoes release sulphur dioxide and other gases, which react with water vapour and sunlight in the air to form fine particles and acidic aerosols. That mix hangs over the land as a grey-white haze, the same kind of air problem that smog describes in cities, but with a different source.

Synonyms: volcanic smog