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Aqua of Beijing and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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Gobi Dust Storm
| Title |
Gobi Dust Storm |
| Description |
In early and mid-April 2006, waves of dust washed out of the Gobi Desert and spread across eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. According to news reports, a dust storm that hit South Korea [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13484 ] over the weekend of April 8 was the worst the country had seen in four years. This pair of images shows a massive wave of dust that blew out of deserts in north-central China on April 10, 2006. The top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] on April 7, 2006, shows the landscape of north-central China, including two large, sandy deserts that are part of the Gobi Desert region. Just a few days later, an image from the MODIS sensor on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows that the area was completely hidden by a wave of bright dust that reached beyond the Yellow River. Gobi dust is whipped eastward with prevailing winds by spring storms and can spread all the way to the United States. The storms can be hazardous to public health both in terms of air quality and visibility. In addition, the dust storms can devastate croplands and contaminate sensitive electronic equipment. Dust storms in China are on the rise, probably as a result of land degradation, such as deforestation and overgrazing, and drought. The Chinese government has undertaken a large reforestation effort to combat the spread of deserts and to mitigate the effects of dust storms, particularly around urban areas such as Beijing. The large images above are provided at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China3 ] of this area of China in a variety of formats and resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Gobi Dust Storm
| Title |
Gobi Dust Storm |
| Description |
In early and mid-April 2006, waves of dust washed out of the Gobi Desert and spread across eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. According to news reports, a dust storm that hit South Korea [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13484 ] over the weekend of April 8 was the worst the country had seen in four years. This pair of images shows a massive wave of dust that blew out of deserts in north-central China on April 10, 2006. The top image, captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] on April 7, 2006, shows the landscape of north-central China, including two large, sandy deserts that are part of the Gobi Desert region. Just a few days later, an image from the MODIS sensor on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite shows that the area was completely hidden by a wave of bright dust that reached beyond the Yellow River. Gobi dust is whipped eastward with prevailing winds by spring storms and can spread all the way to the United States. The storms can be hazardous to public health both in terms of air quality and visibility. In addition, the dust storms can devastate croplands and contaminate sensitive electronic equipment. Dust storms in China are on the rise, probably as a result of land degradation, such as deforestation and overgrazing, and drought. The Chinese government has undertaken a large reforestation effort to combat the spread of deserts and to mitigate the effects of dust storms, particularly around urban areas such as Beijing. The large images above are provided at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China3 ] of this area of China in a variety of formats and resolutions. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Thick haze collected over the Beijing region in late March 2007. Earlier that month, the BBC News reported that an international team of scientists had documented how increasing pollution in China led to decreasing rainfall over the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of the Beijing region on March 22, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom, "false-color," image uses a combination of visible and infrared light to more clearly show vegetation, water, and clouds. Even sparse vegetation appears bright green, while water appears deep blue (bright blue when tinged with sediment). Clouds dominated by water droplets appear white, while clouds made of ice crystals appear light blue. The false-color image highlights water bodies, perhaps aqua-culture ponds, that are all but invisible in the true-color image, especially along the shores of the Bo Hai. While vegetation and water show up more clearly in the false-color image, haze is much more transparent. Although dingy gray haze dominates the true-color picture, it is all but invisible in the false-color view. The haze "disappears" in the infrared-enhanced image because tiny haze particles do not reflect longer-wavelength infrared light very well, making this type of image useful for distinguishing haze from clouds. The bank of clouds in the upper right corner shows up clearly in both pictures. As China industrializes, factories, power plants, and automobiles all contribute to pollution in the region. In examining pollutants and rainfall, the team of scientists examined records covering more than 50 years, concluding that pollution decreased precipitation at Mount Hua near Xi'an in central China. They concluded that when conditions are so hazy that visibility is reduced to less than 8 kilometers (5 miles), hilly precipitation can drop by 30 to 50 percent. When moist air passes over mountains, it usually cools and forms raindrops, but heavy pollutant concentrations cause the clouds to hang on to their moisture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Thick haze collected over the Beijing region in late March 2007. Earlier that month, the BBC News reported that an international team of scientists had documented how increasing pollution in China led to decreasing rainfall over the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of the Beijing region on March 22, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom, "false-color," image uses a combination of visible and infrared light to more clearly show vegetation, water, and clouds. Even sparse vegetation appears bright green, while water appears deep blue (bright blue when tinged with sediment). Clouds dominated by water droplets appear white, while clouds made of ice crystals appear light blue. The false-color image highlights water bodies, perhaps aqua-culture ponds, that are all but invisible in the true-color image, especially along the shores of the Bo Hai. While vegetation and water show up more clearly in the false-color image, haze is much more transparent. Although dingy gray haze dominates the true-color picture, it is all but invisible in the false-color view. The haze "disappears" in the infrared-enhanced image because tiny haze particles do not reflect longer-wavelength infrared light very well, making this type of image useful for distinguishing haze from clouds. The bank of clouds in the upper right corner shows up clearly in both pictures. As China industrializes, factories, power plants, and automobiles all contribute to pollution in the region. In examining pollutants and rainfall, the team of scientists examined records covering more than 50 years, concluding that pollution decreased precipitation at Mount Hua near Xi'an in central China. They concluded that when conditions are so hazy that visibility is reduced to less than 8 kilometers (5 miles), hilly precipitation can drop by 30 to 50 percent. When moist air passes over mountains, it usually cools and forms raindrops, but heavy pollutant concentrations cause the clouds to hang on to their moisture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Thick haze collected over the Beijing region in late March 2007. Earlier that month, the BBC News reported that an international team of scientists had documented how increasing pollution in China led to decreasing rainfall over the region. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of the Beijing region on March 22, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom, "false-color," image uses a combination of visible and infrared light to more clearly show vegetation, water, and clouds. Even sparse vegetation appears bright green, while water appears deep blue (bright blue when tinged with sediment). Clouds dominated by water droplets appear white, while clouds made of ice crystals appear light blue. The false-color image highlights water bodies, perhaps aqua-culture ponds, that are all but invisible in the true-color image, especially along the shores of the Bo Hai. While vegetation and water show up more clearly in the false-color image, haze is much more transparent. Although dingy gray haze dominates the true-color picture, it is all but invisible in the false-color view. The haze "disappears" in the infrared-enhanced image because tiny haze particles do not reflect longer-wavelength infrared light very well, making this type of image useful for distinguishing haze from clouds. The bank of clouds in the upper right corner shows up clearly in both pictures. As China industrializes, factories, power plants, and automobiles all contribute to pollution in the region. In examining pollutants and rainfall, the team of scientists examined records covering more than 50 years, concluding that pollution decreased precipitation at Mount Hua near Xi'an in central China. They concluded that when conditions are so hazy that visibility is reduced to less than 8 kilometers (5 miles), hilly precipitation can drop by 30 to 50 percent. When moist air passes over mountains, it usually cools and forms raindrops, but heavy pollutant concentrations cause the clouds to hang on to their moisture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Just days after thick haze [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17591 ] collected over the Beijing region, more haze clouded the skies over Bo Hai, east of the capital city. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of Bo Hai on March 26, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom image is a "false-color" picture that uses a combination of visible and infrared light to give a clearer picture of vegetation, water, and clouds. Besides clearly showing vegetation, water, and clouds, the false-color image, when paired with a true-color image, helps the viewer discern haze. In the top image, thick haze dominates the image, but the same haze barely appears in the bottom image. The pollutants comprising most of the haze have little water content, rendering them largely invisible in the false-color picture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Just days after thick haze [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17591 ] collected over the Beijing region, more haze clouded the skies over Bo Hai, east of the capital city. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of Bo Hai on March 26, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom image is a "false-color" picture that uses a combination of visible and infrared light to give a clearer picture of vegetation, water, and clouds. Besides clearly showing vegetation, water, and clouds, the false-color image, when paired with a true-color image, helps the viewer discern haze. In the top image, thick haze dominates the image, but the same haze barely appears in the bottom image. The pollutants comprising most of the haze have little water content, rendering them largely invisible in the false-color picture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over China
| Title |
Haze over China |
| Description |
Just days after thick haze [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17591 ] collected over the Beijing region, more haze clouded the skies over Bo Hai, east of the capital city. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite captured these images of Bo Hai on March 26, 2007. The top image is a "true-color" picture, similar to a digital photo. The bottom image is a "false-color" picture that uses a combination of visible and infrared light to give a clearer picture of vegetation, water, and clouds. Besides clearly showing vegetation, water, and clouds, the false-color image, when paired with a true-color image, helps the viewer discern haze. In the top image, thick haze dominates the image, but the same haze barely appears in the bottom image. The pollutants comprising most of the haze have little water content, rendering them largely invisible in the false-color picture. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze Over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze Over Eastern China |
| Description |
Thick haze blurs the North China Plain, right, and snakes through the valley the Yellow River cuts through the Luliang Shan Mountains, left. In the north, the haze seems to dissipate near China's capital, Beijing, west of the Bo Hai, the bay off the Yellow Sea. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image captured on April 5, 2004, by the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, the haze clings near the ground, letting the peaks of the mountains peek through, while white clouds hover above. Such haze is common in Eastern China, particularly during the winter when people burn coal and wood for heat. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
Another thick band of haze covered much of the low-lying coastal basin of eastern China on October 2, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. The smog extended from the Liaoning region in the northeast to Beijing in the west, and it stretched southwards past the coast bordering the Yellow Sea. Like the haze that covered the region on September 17, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13877 ] this smog kept to the coastal plain, away from the Taihang Shan Mountains in the west. Likewise, the haze strayed somewhat from the coast around the Yellow Sea. In this image, the relatively clear area along the coast provides a view of the underlying terrain. The tan dots indicate settlements in the otherwise vegetated plain. Among the world's most densely populated areas, China's Beijing region produces considerable urban and industrial smog. Some of the haze in this image may also result from agricultural fires. Weather patterns can sometimes play a role in trapping pollutants over the region. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
More haze collected over eastern China's coastal basin November 2, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. The smog extended from the Liaoning region in the northeast to Beijing in the west, and it thickened near the coast bordering the Yellow Sea. Like the haze that covered the region on September 17, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13877 ] this smog kept to the coastal plain, away from the Taihang Shan Mountains in the west. China's Beijing region is one of the world's most densely populated areas, and it produces substantial urban and industrial smog. Some of the haze in this image may also result from agricultural fires. Weather patterns (high-pressure systems) can sometimes play a role in trapping pollutants over the region. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
Dense haze completely obscured the North China Plain and the Bo Hai (a bay in the Yellow Sea) when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite flew over on December 20, 2006. The thick brown haze seen here is most common in winter, when coal is burned to provide heat. The haze covers the normally distinctive cities and crop lands and seeps into mountain valleys to the north. A few small clouds float over the brown soup, and low clouds or fog sit under the haze near Beijing. China's State Environmental Protection Administration [ http://english.sepa.gov.cn/ ] reported that the air over Beijing was lightly polluted, the fourth designation on a seven-point scale for air quality where "heavily polluted" is the highest designation. To see twice-daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of eastern China, please visit the MODIS Rapid Response web site. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
One day after a thick plume of haze crept toward Beijing, much of eastern China was obscured on October 23, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day, showing haze dense enough to completely block the view of the land surface below. As on the previous day, the haze largely avoided the Taihang Shan Mountains southwest of the capital city, although fingers of haze crept westward toward the peaks. Thick haze spread from Beijing southward, well past the coast of the Yellow Sea. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ] of this region. |
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Dust and Haze Blow Across Ch
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| Title |
Dust and Haze Blow Across China |
| Description |
Blowing desert dust adds to existing haze in the eastern basin of China. The grayish haze spread across most of the center of the image is likely a mixture of urban, industrial, and residential air pollution, possibily mingling with smoke from agricultural and other fires. Around Beijing, in the top center of the image, the haze includes a large, yellowish-tan plume of dust. Spring brings numerous dust storms to eastern China from the interior deserts, such as the Gobi Desert. According to regional news, this combination of air quality problems caused the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau to lower the air quality index to its most unhealthy level and to advise people to stay indoors until the air clears. This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite on April 6, 2005. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. |
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Dust Storm in the Taklimakan
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| Title |
Dust Storm in the Taklimakan Desert |
| Description |
A large dust storm struck China's Taklimakan Desert in early December 2005. Big, dry, hot, and about as far from the ocean as anyplace on Earth, the Taklimakan Desert provides plenty of material for dust storms. Such storms have been on the rise in the region, posing a health hazard for China's people. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, took this picture on December 3, 2005. In this image, the dust storm appears in pale beige, and sweeps toward the northeast. Clouds hover to the northwest and southwest, and mountains fringe the sandy basin where the dust storm originated. The Taklimakan Desert occupies the Tarim Basin between the Tien Shan Mountains in the north, and Kunlun Mountains in the south. The lowest point of this basin is about 150 meters below sea level, and because the area has no drainage, a great deal of salt has collected in the basin. The mountains to the north block cold air from the Arctic, and the location's distance from the ocean eliminates monsoon-related precipitation, so the area remains warm and dry. This desert is one of the largest shifting-sand deserts on Earth, and it supports very little vegetation. Dust storms from this region can spread all over the world, turning up in places as far away as Greenland. Closer to home, the dust poses risks to the Chinese. As reported in the scientific magazine Nature, between AD 300 and 1949, northwestern China witnessed a major dust storm on average every 31 years. Since 1990, the same region has seen a major dust storm almost every year. Besides posing visibility hazards, these storms cause respiratory illness. The storms have become more common at the same time that roughly 75 percent of China's urban population lives below the country's air-quality standard. In some areas China is taking aggressive steps to combat people's exposure to dust, including the investment of several billion dollars in a reforestation effort in the terrain around the outskirts of Beijing. NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ], NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust Storm over East China
| Title |
Dust Storm over East China |
| Description |
Strong winds originating out of China?s Mu Us Desert sent thick plumes of dust billowing eastward over and through passes in the Luliang Mountains on December 6, 2004. The true-color image above was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Aqua satellite. The MODIS instrument aboard Terra captured an image of this same event several hours earlier. [ http://eobadmin.gsfc.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12607 ] The high resolution image available above is 500 meters per pixel. Copies of this scene are also available at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Beijing ] NASA image courtesy MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust Storm over East China
| Title |
Dust Storm over East China |
| Description |
Strong winds originating out of China?s Mu Us Desert sent thick plumes of dust billowing eastward over and through passes in the Luliang Mountains on December 6, 2004. The true-color image above was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. You will notice there is a line of discontinuity running diagonally from top to bottom just right of center in this image. This discontinuity is due to fact that parts of two adjacent swaths, acquired about 100 minutes apart, were stitched together from consecutive overpasses of the Terra satellite in order to make the one image you see here. The MODIS sensor aboard the Aqua satellite captured an image of this same event several hours later. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12608 ] The high resolution image available above is 500 meters per pixel. Copies of this scene are also available at additional resolutions. [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?AERONET_Beijing ] NASA image courtesy MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust Storm over Eastern Chin
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
According to Chinese news reports, a dust storm had been predicted for northern and central China between March 9 and March 12, 2006, and the prediction proved correct. On March 10, a dust storm struck the region of Beijing. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on March 10, 2006. In this mage, dust mingles with clouds over northeastern China and the Korean Peninsula. The dust cloud appears as a pale tan, slightly lighter than the underlying landscape. Dust clouds obscure the view of the city of Beijing. According to Reuters News Service, the dust resulted in a rare phenomenon in South Korea: yellow snow. Snow laced with dust can pose a health hazard, and the Korean weather bureau issued a dust warning. In northeastern China and Mongolia, the storm posed the usual hazards to respiratory tracts and eyes. The Gobi Desert was the likely source of at least some of this dust. Dust storms are far from rare in the Gobi Desert in March. Dust storms in March and April can actually exceed the number of storms for all other months combined. This storm resulted from cold air from Siberia combined with low pressure from Mongolia. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team. |
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Dust Storm over the Yellow S
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| Title |
Dust Storm over the Yellow Sea |
| Description |
On November 6, 2005, a massive dust storm swept southward over the Yellow Sea from northern China. This storm followed on the heels of perhaps the worst air pollution [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13250 ] in nearby Beijing in six months, according to news reports. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image on November 6. In this image, pale beige dust plumes streak southward over the Bo Hai, Korea Bay, and Yellow Sea, likely mixing with air pollutants from other parts of the country as the dust passes over the ocean. According to a news report [ http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1605041,00.html ] in The Guardian, China was named the "air pollution capital of the world" in the fall of 2005. This dust storm, however, owes its existence to more than pollution. The sandy deserts of Mongolia lie to the north, and Mongolia is one of the world's most prolific sources of dust. Yet this region produces some treasures along with natural hazards. Sandwiched between Mongolia to the north, and Bo Hai to the south, is Liaoning, a part of China that has become famous in recent years for its fossils, such as feathered dinosaurs [ http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs/diorama/forest.php ]. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
In east-central China, the broad coastal plain through which the Yellow River drains out to Bo Hai is surrounded in an arc by a landscape of ridges and valleys. In this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the sensor on the Aqua satellite on November 17, 2004, the coastal plain takes up most of the scene. Grayish haze spreads across the coastal plain, and it fills valleys in the west, highlighting the topography. For example, the south-flowing Fen River at left center edge cuts a broad swath into the Taiyue Shan ("Shan" means "mountains" in Chinese), and haze has settled into the low-lying terrain. The haze flows off the continent and out over Bo Hai (top right) and the Yellow Sea (center right). The haze is likely a combination of several factors: emissions from the country's coal-dominated electricity production, smoke from home heating fires, and vehicle exhaust and other urban pollution from the region's large cities, such as Beijing and Tianjin. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
Between the afternoon of November 2 and November 3, a layer of haze built up in east-central China near the coast of Bo-Hai (the body of water at right). The east coastal plain in this part of China is frequently plagued with poor air quality, due to increasing vehicle pollution in large cities like Beijing, coal-fired power plants, and home heating and cooking fires. The location and topography do not help the situation. The mountains to the west trap the haze over the plain, and the meteorological influences in the area often create what's called a "temperature inversion," in which the air near the surface is cooler than the air higher in the atmosphere. (Normally, air temperatures decrease with altitude.) Since cooler air has less tendency to rise, the haze can remained trapped near the surface until the weather changes. These images were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on November 2 and 3, 2004. The high-resolution image is from November 3, and its spatial resolution is 500 square meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides both images in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
Between the afternoon of November 2 and November 3, a layer of haze built up in east-central China near the coast of Bo-Hai (the body of water at right). The east coastal plain in this part of China is frequently plagued with poor air quality, due to increasing vehicle pollution in large cities like Beijing, coal-fired power plants, and home heating and cooking fires. The location and topography do not help the situation. The mountains to the west trap the haze over the plain, and the meteorological influences in the area often create what's called a "temperature inversion," in which the air near the surface is cooler than the air higher in the atmosphere. (Normally, air temperatures decrease with altitude.) Since cooler air has less tendency to rise, the haze can remained trapped near the surface until the weather changes. These images were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellite on November 2 and 3, 2004. The high-resolution image is from November 3, and its spatial resolution is 500 square meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides both images in additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
Thick gray haze hangs over the eastern coastal plain of China on November 19, 2004. The particle pollution—likely a mixture of emissions from coal-fired power plants, home heating and cooking fires, and vehicles—fills the bowl of land surrounded by rugged mountains around the western perimeters and the seas to the east. The haze is banked against the Taihang Shan ("Shan" means "Mountains"), which run southwest from Beijing for several hundreds kilometers. The Huang He (Yellow River) is almost completely hidden by smoke, but its outlet into Bo Hai is located near image center, and the sediment that the river carries into the sea creates a tan border along the coastline. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Smog and Sand over Beijing
| Title |
Smog and Sand over Beijing |
| Description |
Pollution blanketed Beijing on March 5, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. In this image, pollution tints nearly the entire area a uniform shade of brownish gray. Thick sediment likewise clouds the waters of Bo Hai, immediately to the southeast of the city. Only a band of white clouds contrasts with the rest of the image. A report in Nature in 2005 indicated that 75 percent of the people in China's urban areas lived below the country's air-quality standard. In Beijing, this problem was exacerbated by the city's sheer size. As of 2003, it was one of the world's megacities, home to more than 10 million residents. As of early 2006, however, the Chinese government expressed a desire to address the problem of unrestrained growth. According to news reports, the Chinese government called for slower growth through 2011, partly in hopes of fostering a cleaner environment. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Haze in Eastern China: Natur
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
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beijing_amo_2007365
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-12-31 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
beijing_amo_2007365 |
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Dust over Mongolia and China
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A springtime dust storm spre
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china_amo_2008148
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-27 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
china_amo_2008148 |
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Dust Storm over the Yellow S
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On November 6, 2005, a massi
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ysdust_amo_2005310
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005-11-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ysdust_amo_2005310 |
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Haze over Eastern China: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Another thick band of haze c
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chinasmog_amo_2006275
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
chinasmog_amo_2006275 |
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Pollution over East China: N
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
This true-color image over e
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China_AMO2002289
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2002-10-16 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
China_AMO2002289 |
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Haze over Eastern China: Nat
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dense haze completely obscur
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China_AMO_2006354
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-12-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
China_AMO_2006354 |
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Air Quality and Weather in B
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In preparation for hosting t
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ge_08364
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-12-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_08364 |
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Air Quality and Weather in B
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In preparation for hosting t
…
ge_08364
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-12-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_08364 |
|
Air Quality and Weather in B
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In preparation for hosting t
…
ge_08364
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-12-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_08364 |
|
Air Quality and Weather in B
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In preparation for hosting t
…
ge_08364
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-12-28 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_08364 |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
In east-central China, the b
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China4.AMOA2004322
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-11-17 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
China4.AMOA2004322 |
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Haze over Eastern China: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
More haze collected over eas
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chinahaze_tmo_2006306
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-11-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
chinahaze_tmo_2006306 |
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Haze Over Eastern China: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Thick haze blurs the North C
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aqua_china_05apr04
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-04-05 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
aqua_china_05apr04 |
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Haze over China: Natural Haz
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
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china_amo_2007081
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-03-22 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
china_amo_2007081 |
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Fires in Southern China: Nat
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dozens of fires were burning
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schina_AMO_2008007
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-01-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
schina_AMO_2008007 |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Between the afternoon of Nov
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Beijing.AMOA2004307
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-11-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Beijing.AMOA2004307 |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Between the afternoon of Nov
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Beijing.AMOA2004307
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-11-03 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Beijing.AMOA2004307 |
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