January 16, 2021 - Aerosols over the Korean Peninsula

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   Aerosols (Smoke? Dust?) off Korean Peninsula
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   A thick blanket of haze hung over the Korean Peninsula when the
   Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s
   Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image on January 14, 2021. A
   broad light tan plume stretches over North Korea, with the air over
   South Korea remaining clear. In eastern North Korea the haze is so
   thick that it obscures the land from view.

   Most of the haze is likely dust from China’s Gobi Desert. Dust Scores
   derived from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) which also flies
   on the Aqua satellite show heavy dust over the Gobi Desert on January
   12. By the next day, dust was moving eastward and on January 14 dust
   was concentrated over the Korean Peninsula. The Gobi Desert is one of
   the world’s most abundant sources of dust. Although dust storms are
   more common in March and April but can occur at any time of year.

   While dust is a major component of the plume, it is not likely to be
   the sole aerosol component. Pollution from industry, coal-burning heat,
   and automobiles often fill the skies over parts of China and are
   carried on the wind at least as easily as dust.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 1/1/4/2021
   Resolutions:  1km (58.1 KB),  500m (184.6 KB),  250m (487.8
   KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-01-16
 
