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Dust clouds over eastern Chi
…
The desert takes to the skie
…
5/9/01
| Date |
5/9/01 |
| Description |
The desert takes to the skies in these images of eastern China from NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR). A hazy summer view from July 9, 2000, (left) compares with a spectacularly dusty spring view from April 7, 2001, (middle). The two images cover an area from central Manchuria near the top to portions of North and South Korea at the bottom. The image on the right is a higher resolution MISR nadir- camera view of a portion of the April 7, 2001, dust cloud. When viewed at full magnification, a number of atmospheric wave features, like the ridges and valleys of a fingerprint, are apparent. These are probably induced by surface topography, which can disturb the wind flow. A few small cumulus clouds are also visible and are casting shadows on the thick lower dust layer. According to the Xinhua News Agency in China, nearly one million tons of Gobi Desert dust blow into Beijing each year. During a similar dust outbreak last year, the Associated Press reported that the visibility in Beijing had been reduced to the point where buildings were barely visible across city streets and airline schedules were significantly disrupted. The dust has also been implicated in adverse health effects such as respiratory discomfort and eye irritation. Asia's desert areas are prone to soil erosion, as underground water tables are lowered by prolonged drought and by industrial and agricultural water use. Heavy winds blowing eastward across the arid and sparsely vegetated surfaces of Mongolia and western China pick up large quantities of yellow dust. Airborne dust clouds from the April 2001 storm blew across the Pacific Ocean and were carried as far as North America. The minerals transported in this manner are believed to provide nutrients for both oceanic and land ecosystems. The left-hand and middle images are from Terra orbits 2,967 and 6,928 respectively. They are approximately 380 kilometers (236 miles) in width. The right-hand image covers an area roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) wide by 470 kilometers (292 miles) high. Analyses of images such as these constitute one phase of MISR's participation in the Asian-Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment, an international campaign aimed at studying the offshore transport of airborne particles from the Asian continent. More information about this international endeavor is available online at http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/aceasia/ . MISR, built and managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is one of several Earth-observing experiments aboard Terra, launched in December 1999. MISR acquires images of the Earth at nine angles simultaneously, using nine separate cameras pointed forward, downward, and backward along its flight path. More information about MISR is available at http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov . JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Image credit: NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL, MISR Team. # # # # # |
|
Beijing Flyby
| Title |
Beijing Flyby |
| Abstract |
This Landsat scene shows the city of Beijing, looking northward. The main city airport is visible in the foreground. The Landsat data is shown with shortwave infrared (TM Band 5) displayed as red, near infrared (TM Band 4) as green, and visible green (TM Band 2) as blue. Reddish tone shows bare soil or recently cultivated land, greens shows vegetation, while dark grey tones correspond to concrete and asphalt. The overall dark pink/red tone of the city in this image is due to the data coming from the early winter when there is much less vegetation coverage. |
| Completed |
1999-04-09 |
|
Beijing Flyby
| Title |
Beijing Flyby |
| Abstract |
This Landsat scene shows the city of Beijing, looking northward. The main city airport is visible in the foreground. The Landsat data is shown with shortwave infrared (TM Band 5) displayed as red, near infrared (TM Band 4) as green, and visible green (TM Band 2) as blue. Reddish tone shows bare soil or recently cultivated land, greens shows vegetation, while dark grey tones correspond to concrete and asphalt. The overall dark pink/red tone of the city in this image is due to the data coming from the early winter when there is much less vegetation coverage. |
| Completed |
1999-04-09 |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Haze in Eastern China
| Title |
Haze in Eastern China |
| Description |
Haze collected south of Beijing on August 13, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. In this image, haze snakes its way northward from an especially heavy concentration just east of the Yellow Sea. The haze likely resulted from a combination of industrial smog and smoke from wildfires. Weather patterns may have played a role in trapping the haze in this region, Typhoon Pabuk made landfall near Hong Kong and traveled northward along the coast. 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. |
|
Haze over Beijing
| Title |
Haze over Beijing |
| Description |
Haze collected over the Beijing region on July 27, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the haze mingles with clouds, appearing only slightly darker in color and more diffuse in shape. Haze is thick enough to completely hide Beijing, and low-lying haze clings to the river valleys north of the city. 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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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 |
|
Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
More haze filled the skies of eastern China on September 20, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. Unlike the smog in the region on September 17, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13877 ] however, this haze did not hug the coastal plain east of the Taihang Shan range. Instead, it blended with clouds over the mountains while leaving the coast near the Yellow Sea relatively clear. In this image, the haze appears as a pale, dingy gray mass with ill-defined borders, in contrast to the bright white clouds. Weather patterns, including the presence of Typhoon Shanshan [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13883 ] in the region, may have caused this haze to accumulate in eastern China. Because China's Beijing region is one of the world's most densely populated and is urbanizing rapidly, it produces urban and industrial smog, along with smoke from agricultural fires. Where the skies are clear, cities appear as tan dots surrounded by a green landscape. 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. |
|
Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
A thick band of haze hung over the low-lying coastal basin of eastern China on September 17, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. The smoggy blanket stretched from Beijing in the north to beyond Shanghai (hidden by clouds and haze in the lower right corner of the scene). The haze is especially thick just east of the Taihang Shan range that runs southward from the capital city along the western edge of the coastal plain. The haze is darker and fuzzier than the bright white clouds in this image. Also visible is thick, tan-colored sediment in the waters along the coastline. The Beijing region of China is one of the world's most densely populated areas, producing its share of urban and industrial smog. Beneath the haze, a scattering of small tan circlescitiesdot the green vegetation of the plain. Agricultural fires in the region may have added to the haze. Even though the amount of haze being generated at the time of the image might not have been above normal, weather conditions may have been responsible for keep the pollution trapped over the area. Typhoon Shanshan, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13864 ] located offshore to the east, may have been trapping the air over the region, preventing the haze from dispersing over the ocean. A similar situation occurred in the United States in the summer of 2002, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/IDEA/ ] when Hurricane Gustav off the Carolinas prevented hazy air in the Southeast from dispersing over the Atlantic Ocean, and then Tropical Storm Hannah in the Gulf of Mexico kept it from escaping to the south. Air quality across the South and Southeast was compromised for many days during the event. 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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Haze over Eastern China
| Title |
Haze over Eastern China |
| Description |
A nearly opaque plume of haze snaked through eastern China on October 20, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows thick haze hugging the slopes of the Taihang Shan Mountains as it pushes north toward Beijing. Just south of the city, however, the haze veers off to the east, blowing over Bo Hai. The haze likely results from industrial and vehicular emissions as China struggles to balance economic growth with a healthy environment. According to news reports, lung cancer rates in China rose 26.9 percent in males and 38.4 percent in females between 2000 and 2005, and air quality was expected to pose the greatest challenge to athletes in the 2008 Olympics. 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. |
|
Hazy Skies over Southeast As
…
| Title |
Hazy Skies over Southeast Asia and Southern China |
| Description |
Carbon monoxide hung thickly over the Beijing region for much of March 2006. Although the pollutant was relatively mild over the Korean Peninsula and Bo Haithe body of water immediately west of the peninsulacarbon monoxide grew thicker to the west. This image is a composite of readings from the Measurements of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument flying onboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. The image shows carbon monoxide concentrations between March 1 and March 26, 2006. Dark blue indicates the lowest carbon monoxide concentrations while red indicates the highest. Many of the populous regions in China show relatively high concentrations, in yellow. Although less intense than the region around Beijing, a large portion of Southeast Asia also shows elevated levels of carbon monoxide, in pale blue-green with small patches of yellow. Smoke from fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13444 ] in that region likely contributed to the elevated pollutant. Gray areas show regions where the instrument could not collect data. High-altitude land features, such as the Himalayas, can interfere with MOPITT data collection. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Toronto MOPITT Teams |
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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 and Smog in Northeast C
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| Title |
Dust and Smog in Northeast China |
| Description |
Much of the land surface is obscured in this oblique image of the North China Plain and parts of Inner Mongolia. In this image, a mass of gray smogmainly industrial pollution and smoke from domestic burningobscures Beijing and surrounding cities. Numerous plumes with their source points appear within the mass. Beijing suffers some of the worst air pollution in the world from these chronic sources, and the characteristic colors and textures of the smog can be easily seen through the windows of the International Space Station. The pale brown material in Bo Hai Bay, about 300 kilometers east of Beijing, is sediment from the Yellow River and other rivers. Separated from the smog mass by a band of puffy, white cumulus clouds is a light brown plume of dust. The line of white clouds has developed along the steep slope that separates the heavily populated North China Plainthe location of the largest population concentration on Earthand the sparsely populated semi-desert plains of Inner Mongolia. Most Northern Hemisphere deserts saw dust storms in the spring of 2006, and the Gobi and Taklimakan Deserts of western China were no exception. Dust plumes originating in these deserts typically extend hundreds of kilometers eastward, regularly depositing dust on Beijing, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. Some plumes even extend over the Pacific Ocean. In extreme cases, visible masses of Gobi-derived dust have reached North America. An astronaut handheld-camera image taken in 1996 shows a broad corridor of smog moving off the mainland out into the Pacific Ocean from China's more southerly population center near Taiwan. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=15295 ] Astronaut photograph ISS013-E-21250 [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS012&roll=E&frame=21250 ] was acquired March 2, 2006, with a Kodak 760C digital camera using a 50 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and the Image Science & Analysis Group, Johnson Space Center. The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program [ http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html ] supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. [ http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan
| Title |
Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan |
| Description |
The dust cloud over eastern Asia was so thick on March 21, 2002, that the Korean Peninsula completely disappeared from view in this Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) image of the region. Parts of South Korea report that visibility at the surface is less than 50 m (165 feet). Airports throughout the region canceled flights due to the poor visibility. Eyewitnesses in China report that the dust was so thick in Beijing at times that visibility was limited to 100 m (330 feet), while in parts of the Gansu Province visibility was reported at less than 10 m (33 feet). Chinese officials say this is the worst dust storm to hit in more than 10 years. Dust from an earlier event still colors the air to the east of Japan. (The island of Honshu is just peeking out from under the cloud cover in these images.) Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan
| Title |
Dust Cloud over Sea of Japan |
| Description |
A few days earlier than usual, a large, dense plume of dust blew southward and eastward from the desert plains of Mongolia?quite smothering to the residents of Beijing. Citizens of northeastern China call this annual event the ?shachenbao,? or ?dust cloud tempest.? However, the tempest normally occurs during the spring time. The dust storm hit Beijing on Friday night, March 15, and began coating everything with a fine, pale brown layer of grit. The region is quite dry, a problem some believe has been exacerbated by decades of deforestation. According to Chinese government estimates, roughly 1 million tons of desert dust and sand blow into Beijing each year. This true-color image was made using data from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard the OrbView-2 satellite, on March 18, 2002. The massive dust storm (brownish pixels) can easily be distinguished from clouds (bright white pixels) as it blows across Japan and out over the Pacific Ocean. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Dust Over Japan
| Title |
Dust Over Japan |
| Description |
Something more than clouds hovered over Japan on April 18, 2006. Dust filled the skies as well. The dust traveled to the island nation from the Gobi Desert. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on April 18. In this image, the eastward-moving, tan dust mingles with white clouds. An especially thick plume of dust heads toward the Korean Peninsula and the island of Japan from the west coast of China. The same day this picture was taken, Japan's Meteorological Agency announced that the dust storm reached Tokyo, the first such weather event in that city in six years. The agency predicted reduced visibility but no health hazards. Research results published in 2005, however, suggested that dust storms may carry bacteria from China to Japan. If the Japanese hoped others could understand the frustrations this dust storm caused, they needed to look no further than Beijing. Spring is the season for Gobi Dust storms, but this storm appeared to be unusually hard on China's citizens. According to news reports, it was the worst in five years, dumping some 300,000 tons of dust on Beijing. It was also the second dust storm to hit that city in a week. According to some reports, Chinese officials planned to seed clouds in hopes of bringing some relief. In 2005, a Nature paper examined China's changing environment. Partially worsened by human actions such as overgrazing and grassland degradation, dust storms began to increase in the 20th century. Between AD 300 and 1949, northwestern China saw a dust storm on average every 31 years. After 1990, the average jumped to one such storm per year. According to news reports, at the time this storm hit, the average rate of dust storms for the Beijing region (in northeastern China) was five or six a year. This storm was the eighth to hit the region in 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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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 |
A large dust storm spread aerosols (airborne particles) over Asia and the Pacific starting on March 9, 2006. The storm reached the Beijing region [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13404 ] on March 10, and the tiny particles remained aloft for several more days. The dust cloud remained intense as it migrated eastward from China over Korea and Japan. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) [ http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/instruments/omi/index.html ] flying onboard the Aura [ http://aura.gsfc.nasa.gov/index.html ] satellite captured these images on March 9, 11, and 13. These false-color images show the thickness of dust, smoke, or pollution in the atmosphere. The most intense regions of aerosols appear in bright red. As the images indicate, the aerosols from the dust storm over eastern China remained thick for days afterwards. Not all of the aerosols, however, necessarily resulted from the dust storm. The fairly thick aerosols southeast of the dust storm on March 9 probably resulted from pollution [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13405 ]. On March 11, the heavy aerosols in southeast Asia (lower left corner of image) likely resulted from agricultural fires [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13406 ]. The dust in this storm may have originated in the Gobi Desert. In March and April, dust storms in the Gobi can exceed the total number of storms in that region throughout the rest of the year. It is not uncommon for aerosols from these storms to travel around the world. Images courtesy Colin Seftor and Omar Torres, Aura Science Team. |
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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 Eastern Chin
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Eastern China |
| Description |
Alhough spring dust storms are common in eastern China, 2006 surpassed the average year in the frequency and intensity of storms. On May 7, 2006, yet another dust storm swept across the North China Plain and veiled the Bo Hai from view. One reason the dust storms have been so frequent in 2006 is that drought has settled over northern China. Hebei Province and the Yellow River basin, both south of Beijing in the lower left corner of the image, received little rain between February and early May, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service [ http://www.pecad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2006/04/china_18apr2006/ ]. Dry soil is easily lifted in the wind, and frequent dust storms have resulted. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this photo-like image of the dust storm on May 7, 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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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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Fires and Haze in Eastern Ch
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| Title |
Fires and Haze in Eastern China |
| Description |
Streaks of thick haze were draped over the North China Plain when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) captured this photo-like image on June 4, 2006, from NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. Though it is not possible to tell the source of the haze from a photo-like image like this one, there are several likely contributors. First, dozens of fires, marked in red, are scattered across the southern edge of the plain. A light pall of gray haze lingers over the largest cluster of the fires below the center of the image (more clearly seen in the large image), hinting that smoke may be contributing to the haze. The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) expected China's winter grain harvest to peak during the first two weeks of June, and it's likely that the fires were started by farmers burning the stubble off their fields after harvest. Dust may also be mingling in the mix of haze. In the lower-left corner and right of the center of the image, the haze is opaque with the earthy tan tone that is common for wind-blown dust. Eastern China experienced an unusual number of severe sand storms [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13558 ] in the spring of 2006, when weather patterns in Siberia swept powerful winds across the Gobi Desert and carried dust over Eastern China. The dust shown in this image, however, appears to originate from the North China Plain. Mild drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13592 ] settled over the Yellow River Basin, the area immediately north of the band of fires, after a dry spring, reported the FAS. Since dry soil is easily lifted on the wind, the likelihood of dust storms on the plain increases during drought. Finally, urban and industrial pollution could be adding to the haze, particularly in the north. Here, the haze is lighter in color, resembling the white-gray air that sometimes lingers over cities. Several of China's largest cities are in or near the area shown in this image (Beijing is just beyond the top edge of the image), and much of China's industry is in this region as well. The large image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution (level of detail), 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4/2006155 ] of Eastern China in a variety of resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
Thick haze hung over the North China Plain on October 8, 2004. The densest haze has gathered at the foot of the Luliang Mountains in the north and is snaking west along the Wei River Valley. According to news reports, Beijing was plagued by a soupy mixture of fog and pollution, and this image supports the story. Beijing is located west of the Bo Hai (Sea) under the northernmost section of the haze. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor aboard the OrbView-2 satellite captured this image. On the right edge of the image, Typhoon Ma-on [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=12510 ] can be seen approaching Japan. NASA images courtesy the SeaWiFS Project [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ], Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE [ http://www.orbimage.com/ ] |
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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
Thick pearly white haze hung heavily over much of Eastern China on October 25, 2004, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA?s Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image. The haze has lingered over China for much of October, trapped in place largely by a string of typhoons moving through the East China Sea. The remnants of the most recent typhoon, Nock-ten, is visible along the right edge of the image. The thickest smog is in the north, near China?s capital, Beijing, top right. The most current image of the Beijing region as well as additional resolutions of this image are available from the MODIS Rapid Response System [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?FAS_China4 ]. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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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 haze blanketed much of China on November 4, 2004. Haze is a frequent problem in China, where coal is a source of energy and heat for many. In anticipation of the 2008 Olympics, Beijing has set a plan in action to reduce haze over the city, which is located near the left edge of the image. The city plans to relocate several factories and switch to natural gas where possible to cut down on pollution. Beijing is not the only part of China being affected by the haze on November 4. The thick air stretches from the southern edge of the Gobi Desert (left) down to the South China Sea (right), and from the East China Sea (top) to the mountains of central China (right)a distance of well over 2,000 kilometers in each direction. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor aboard the OrbView-2 satellite captured this image on November 4, 2004. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ], NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE [ http://www.orbimage.com/ ]. |
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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 pollutionlikely a mixture of emissions from coal-fired power plants, home heating and cooking fires, and vehiclesfills 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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Particle Pollution in Easter
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| Title |
Particle Pollution in Eastern China |
| Description |
In the last two decades, China's economy has been developing rapidly. The energy source that has driven the growth is coal. Scientists estimate that as much as 70 percent of the country's energy comes from the burning of coal. The growth of the economy has come hand in hand with both urbanization and the ability of more individuals to own their own cars. With less strict vehicle emission standards than those in developed countries, cities have become increasingly crowded with cars, while skies have become increasingly thick with pollution. This image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA?s Terra satellite on February 12, 2005, illustrates the air pollution problems China faces as it continues to develop. The east coastal plain, ringed on the west by several rugged mountain ranges, can seem like a bowl filled with hazy air. Pollution gets especially bad over major cities like Beijing and Tianjin, as well as along the Yellow River where it flows eastward out of the mountains. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides these images at additional resolutions. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Pollution over China
| Title |
Pollution over China |
| Description |
Central eastern China was not too cloudy on the last day of 2002. Nevertheless, the ground was hidden from the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) in many places by a dense layer of grayish haze that probably was generated by the burning of heating fuels such as coal. North of the worst of the haze and south of Beijing, snow covers much of the North China Plain. The many dark smudges in the snow cover (visible in the full-resolution version) are local population centers. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Sandstorms Sweep Across Nort
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| Title |
Sandstorms Sweep Across Northern China |
| Description |
Powerful sandstorms have scoured Northern China in recent days. In some places, visibility has dropped to 100 meters (330 feet) in the most intense sandstorm so far this year. About 70 million people in 11 provinces have been affected by strong winds and blowing sand. On March 28, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this view of the dust moving over the Yellow Sea. The thickness of the dust has nearly obscured the sea. On the left side of the image, the dust and cloud are covering the nation's capital, Beijing. 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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Severe Sandstorm in Northeas
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| Title |
Severe Sandstorm in Northeast China |
| Description |
Visibility across much of northeastern China, including downtown Beijing, was reduced to 500 meters (1,600 feet) as a severe sandstorm swept southeastward out of the Gobi Desert on Wednesday. Residents who had to go outdoors were encouraged to wear masks to protect themselves from the choking effects of the dust and grit. The true-color image above was acquired on March 10, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The sandstorm, in the center of this scene, is the wall of tan to light brown streamers completely obscuring the surface and blowing toward the southeast. Scientists suspect that such sandstorm originate in areas that have been deforested and over-grazed for decades, causing the region to become more arid and exposing the dry, loose soil to the elements. Image by Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, using data courtesy the MODIS Land Rapid Response Team |
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Smog and Sand over Beijing
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Smog and Sand over Beijing |
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During the early part of the year, there is considerable outflow of pollution from China and Southeast Asia. Carbon monoxide is a good tracer of this pollution because it is produced by incomplete combustion processes such as the burning of fossil fuels in urban and industrial areas, the use of biofuels in developing countries, and by biomass burning in the tropics. This false-color image shows the concentrations of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere off the coast of Asia and out over the Pacific Ocean. This image represents a composite of data collected during February 2006 by the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument aboard NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite. The colors represent the amount of carbon monoxide in a column of air, given in molecules per square centimeter. The gray areas show where no data were collected due to persistent cloud cover. Pollution plumes from Asia can be observed in satellite imagery as they spread far out over the Pacific Ocean, and in some instances the plumes reach the western coast of the United States. Over China, industrial emissions are mainly responsible for the high levels of carbon monoxide observed in the image. In Southeast Asia (lower left corner), February and March are months for widespread agricultural burning, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13406 ] and the carbon monoxide over that region may be from the high number of fires. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the Univeristy of Toronto MOPITT teams. |
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Smog and Sand over Beijing
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Smog and Sand over Beijing |
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Thick smog hung over the Beijing region on April 10, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, smog appears as a hazy cloud of grey that obscures the view of the land surface. Immediately east of the smog are white clouds. According to news reports, unrest over pollution was on the rise in China in the spring of 2006. The Chinese government took steps to curb the problem, implementing a five-year economic plan aimed at improved energy efficiency, including a tax on luxury cars with large engines. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Smog and Sand over Beijing
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Smog and Sand over Beijing |
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Thick sand from one of China's famed sandstorms clouded the air over Beijing on April 17, 2006. The storm swept east from the border region between China and Mongolia and blanketed cities across China with gritty yellow sand. The storm was the eighth and worst such storm of 2006, reported the BBC. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture on the morning of April 17. In this image, a thick band of tan dust obscures the view of the land surface below. Immediately east of the sandstorm are thick clouds, colored tan by the airborne dust. Along the coastlines, brownish sediments from both China and the Korean Peninsula cloud the Yellow Sea. As Terra captured this image, The Korea Times predicted that the storm would strike Korea on the evening of April 17, 2006. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences DAAC. [ http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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Smog Obscures Chinese Coast
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Smog Obscures Chinese Coast |
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A thick shroud of haze lingers over China, turning the sky an opaque grey over most of the eastern provinces and almost completely blotting out details of the land surface in this true-color scene. Beijing, China?s capital city, is situated roughly 150 km (93 miles) west of Bo Hai Bay, under what appears to the densest portion of the aerosol pollution. These data were collected on January 11, 2002, by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), flying aboard OrbView 2. The heavy aerosol concentrations can be seen blowing eastward across the Bo Hai Bay and Yellow Sea. It appears that some of the pollution has reached as far east as North and South Korea and the islands of Japan. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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