Himalayan Haze: NASA Image of the Week

The milky area between New Delhi and the Himalaya is a pall of smoke from industry and agricultural burning.

A seasonal haze covered a wide swath of northern India and parts of Pakistan during the first week of October in the wake of a very active summer monsoon season.

When NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over the region at midday on October 4, 2008, imagery of that milky haze was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) orbiting onboard the spacecraft. That MODIS image can be seen to the right.

NASA analysts believe the haze was created by late-season agricultural burning across the foothills of the Himalaya. About half of all Indians derive their incomes from agriculture.

NASA also points out that industrial pollutants may have also contributed to the air pollution seen in the image.

Also visible are dendritic patterns of white, which are the snowcapped peaks of the Himalaya mountain range.

Northeast of the mountains, clear skies revealed the high plateau of Tibet.

Full story and image: NASA