Particle Pollution in Eastern China

Particle Pollution in Eastern China

On December 13, 2004, hazy air spread out across a wide area of eastern China. It is not uncommon for the eastern coastal plain to experience poor air quality in fall and winter. Most of China's energy comes from burning coal; the emissions often pile up over the low-lying coastal plain. The haze may be augmented on this day by dust from China’s interior deserts. Satellite images from December 6 show a large dust storm blowing over the mountains to the west and out to sea.

NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center