Bay Area researchers hope to unlock the secrets of coastal fog — and understand how it’s affected by climate change and pollution

Considering that it is a fixture of life in California, it’s remarkable how much remains unknown about the fog that regularly flows over the coast from the Pacific Ocean. But a collaboration between researchers throughout the state hopes to change that.

With a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the Heising-Simon Foundation, the Pacific Coastal Fog Research project is poised to lift the veil on the rather mysterious meteorological phenomenon. The scientists will record the fog’s chemical composition...