Particle Pollution in Eastern China
Incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels like coal and wood leads to a build-up of haze in eastern China, where mountains and weather patterns can trap it for days at a time. This Terra MODIS image is a comparison of a hazy day and a relatively clear day in February 2005.
Thick haze hung over the North China Plain on October 8, 2004. The densest haze has gathered at the foot of the Luliang Mountains in the north and is snaking west along the Wei River Valley. According to news reports, Beijing was plagued by a soupy mixture of fog and pollution, and this image supports the story. Beijing is located west of the Bo Hai (Sea) under the northernmost section of the haze. The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor aboard the OrbView-2 satellite captured this image. On the right edge of the image, Typhoon Ma-on can be seen approaching Japan.