Haze hugged the Himalaya in early October 2008. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of the haze on October 4, 2008.

Dendritic patterns of white identify the snowcapped peaks of the Himalaya. Northeast of these mountains, skies are largely clear in southwestern China (Tibet) except for some clouds. Southwest of the mountains, however, haze partially obscures the view of the landscape, from Pakistan to Nepal. A cluster of red dots indicate hotpsots of unusually high surface temperatures associated with fires. These blazes, likely agricultural fires, contribute to the haze but are not wholly responsible for it; industrial pollutants probably play a larger role.

NASA images created by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.

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