A thick, gray blanket of haze hangs over eastern China in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite on February 19, 2004. The haze pools in the gullies and valleys of the mountain ranges along the left edge of the scene, and in many places, completely hides the coastal plain from view. Unfortunately for the residents of the region, such events are not rare, especially in winter, when people need to burn additional amounts of coal and wood. In this case, numerous fires burning in southeastern China may be contributing to the haze as well.
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
