Across eastern China, the increased use of coal and wood for heating in the winter often leads to widespread haze, such as that seen in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from the Terra satellite on February 9, 2004. The topography contributes to the effect, as this region is very bowl-like and ringed by mountainous terrain to the west, which prevents the pollution from dispersing. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional resolutions.
Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
