June 13, 2008 - Haze over Eastern China

Haze over China

Dingy gray haze clouded the skies over eastern China on June 12, 2008. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, skies appear relatively clear to the north. In the south, however, the haze grows thick enough to nearly become opaque. Mixed with the haze are bright white clouds, especially along the coast and over the Taihang Shan Mountains.

One day before MODIS acquired this image, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that worsening air pollution was causing at least 10,000 deaths per year in southern China.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 06/12/2008
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC