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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