• MODIS Pic of the Day 04 January 2023

    From Dan Richter@1:317/3 to All on Wed Jan 4 11:00:14 2023
    January 4, 2023 - Haze over China

    Aerosols
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    A thick aerosol haze blanketed North Central China on the opening days
    of 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer acquired a
    true-color image of a gray blanket swathing the region on January 3.

    The haze is so thick that it obscures most of the North China Plan, the
    agricultural heartland of the country, from view. Beijing, the
    country’s capital city, is hidden under the aerosol haze in the upper
    left (northeast) section of the image. The gray shroud thins against
    the Western Hills (Xishan) as the elevation rises, but seeps into
    valleys and over rivers where it forms sinuous and branching patterns.

    Outbreaks of severe haze in this region are frequent, especially during
    cooler temperatures. They generally occur during the winter because of
    temperature inversions. Air normally cools with altitude, but during an
    inversion warm air settles above a layer of cool air near the surface.
    The warm air acts like a lid and traps pollutants near the surface,
    especially in basins and valleys. Common sources of pollution in the
    winter include coal and wood burning for heat, industrial activity, and
    vehicle emissions. Smoke from fires and dust storms can also contribute
    to poor air quality.

    Image Facts
    Satellite: Terra
    Date Acquired: 1/3/2023
    Resolutions: 1km (897.3 KB), 500m (2.6 MB), 250m (7.8 MB)
    Bands Used: 1,4,3
    Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



    https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-01-04

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