Why Does Jakarta Air Look Bad? This Is BMKG's Explanation

Acting Deputy for Climatology of BMKG, Ardhasena Sopaheliwakan at a press conference in East Jakarta, Friday, August 11. (Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) explained that the cause of the air in Jakarta's sky seems cloudy due to air pollution which is currently being questioned. Acting Deputy for Climatology of BMKG, Ardhasena Sopaheliwa will outline that the daily cycle affects the level of air pollution in Jakarta. The condition in big cities like Jakarta, according to him, is more apparent every dry season with dry air. Ardhasena explained, this type of air quality cycle has occurred for a long time. "It needs to be observed that the air quality condition has a daily cycle. When it is released at night until early and day, it tends to be higher than in the afternoon to evening," Ardhasena said at a press conference in East Jakarta, Friday, August 11. Then, the main phenomenon that causes pollution-polluted Jakarta air is the presence of an inversion layer. The inversion layer is a warm atmospheric layer above a cold atmospheric layer. "Because we are in the urban region and now during the dry season there is a phenomenon called an inversion layer. So when morning, below or the surface is cooler than in the upper layer," explained Ardhasena. "So, it prevents the air from rising and then dispersed. That's an explanation why Jakarta looks cloudy at the top compared to the urban setting where we all live together," he added.

As is known, Jakarta is often one of the largest cities with the highest pollutants in the world. The cause of the largest high air pollution in Jakarta is motorized vehicles that contribute 44 percent. Then, 31 percent of pollution was contributed by industry, 14 percent of housing, 10 percent of the manufacturing energy industry, and 1 percent of commercial activities.