Satellite: Aqua Date Acquired: 10/29/2009 Resolutions: 1km (640.8 KB) 500m (2.1 MB) 250m (5.4 MB) Bands Used: 1,4,3 Credit: Jeff Schmaltz MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC View this image interactively

Thick haze blows out over the Sea of Japan in this image, captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on October 29, 2009. There is a great deal of haze over China, as shown the day before, which has been blown eastward over Korea and beyond. The haze appears as a translucent band of dingy gray. Over northern Japan, the haze blends with opaque white clouds. The Korean Peninsula is to the left in this image, and Japan near center right.

It may be that a temperature inversion is responsible for the pollution over eastern China. This happens when a layer of cool air is trapped beneath a layer of warm air. The layers don't mix as the cool air is more dense than the warm, and as a result pollutants can build up in the cool air near the surface of the Earth. This phenomenon is more common in winter due to cool night temperatures chilling the ground, which in turn chills the air above it.

Curator: Brandon Maccherone
NASA Official: Shannell Cardwell