Excellent Satellite Image of Global Air Pollution!

Just browsing Space.com website and came across this brilliant sat image of the worlds air pollution...




It shows concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a mostly man-made gas that comes from power plants, heavy industry, trucks and the burning of biomass. Lightning in the air and microbial activity in soil also produce NO2, which can cause respiratory problems.

At lease we can now see where the majority of the air pollution is!

Source

Very interesting. I'm wondering what that mass of pollution is in western Canada.
And, I'm appalled at the amount of pollution in the Orient. My God, the US government has all these pollution control devices, but burning fuels burns unrestricted in other parts of the world.

Wow someone replied!

Its good as a reference to see whos creating the most pollution,at least its useful for something

I am amazed at the pollution coming from the tri-state (NY/NJ/CT)
east coast area. It looks like the worse in the entire country!
There are not a lot of factories, so it must be the cars?
I'm surprised it's worse than CA.
But Asia really is bad!

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
Very interesting. I'm wondering what that mass of pollution is in western Canada.

Must be all the refineries and chemical plants in Edmonton. Also HUGE plants southeast of Edmonton near Joffre.

I'm amazed at the little yellow with a red dot in it around the Ky area....or maybe it's a bit too far down for Ky...Georgia maybe?


[edit on 10/24/2004 by LadyV]

Originally posted by LL1
I am amazed at the pollution coming from the tri-state (NY/NJ/CT) east coast area. It looks like the worse in the entire country!
There are not a lot of factories, so it must be the cars?
I'm surprised it's worse than CA.
But Asia really is bad!

Yeah, LOT of cars which don't even get anywhere when sitting in traffic jams and producing pollution.
Amount of red in CA is really surprising small.
(CA's environment laws might have something to do with it)

China burns lot of coal.
Honk Kong propably shows because there have been cars in there already longer time.
Other China's cities are seeing "explosion" in amount of cars only now, so it's sure that those red areas won't be going away.

The dot in the US southeast in Atlanta and L.A, mostly auto Nox.
The upper eastern US, parts of Europe, China are coal and oil power plants.
Central US, Texas, Lousisiana, Ohio are, Europe, China, Japan, S. Mexico mostly heavy industrial.

I'm not sure about the UAE and Qattar, Egypt and Isreal, possibly oil fired generators and pertrolium refinceries.

Austrailia, Greenland, some of the Far East, N. Africa and South America are looking good.

Incredible data, we have a lot of work to do.

Good photo

I'm appalled at the amount of pollution in the Orient.

yeah,me to-what do they all do at night,leave their cars running out in the street?

Originally posted by optimus fett
Good photo

I'm appalled at the amount of pollution in the Orient.

yeah,me to-what do they all do at night,leave their cars running out in the street?

No it's all those kids working late in factories making s___ to put in our Walmarts. Auto Pollution is only part of it, but I imagine the busses, cars and trucks there have no emmisions control.

[edit on 26-10-2004 by AlabamaCajun]

Originally posted by LL1
I am amazed at the pollution coming from the tri-state (NY/NJ/CT)

This is where the "Megalopolis" is tho, the giant conglomerate city that stretches from DC to Boston, with New York in the midst of it all. There are factories and power plants throughout it, but of course there are also huge numbers of vehicles.

One thing is probably, as more and more electric only cars hit the road, that map will change. Insterad of cities getting the pollution from the emisions of cars, the countryside will probably get more from the emissions of more powerplants. Damn trade offs.

Originally posted by Nygdan
[
One thing is probably, as more and more electric only cars hit the road, that map will change. Insterad of cities getting the pollution from the emisions of cars, the countryside will probably get more from the emissions of more powerplants. Damn trade offs.

Considering the "Load" ~cars will put on the power grid, I asked Ford about adding a solar panel option to the hybrid line. I would chunk a coupe grand for it when I can save that in two years. My current 35mpg gas sipper sits and bakes in sunlight for 9-12 hours a day converting paint to oxide instead of putting watts in the bats. Email, Write or Call you favorite auto maker and ask for the option. A good panel quality panel 4by4 ft in full sun will generate 150 to 250 watts/hour or more. My 10 min trip to the office and back would be paid for almost entirely by ole sol.

Looks like they have a lot of "lightning strikes" in northern China.

Originally posted by LL1
I am amazed at the pollution coming from the tri-state (NY/NJ/CT)
east coast area. It looks like the worse in the entire country!
There are not a lot of factories, so it must be the cars?
I'm surprised it's worse than CA.
But Asia really is bad!

Very cool image. I also cant believe the pollution in the tri-state area. Oh well, I suppose thats why we have such pretty sunsets!

Wow, no wonder NJ stinks. And Arizona doesnt look that clean, considering our gas is 20cents more on account of pollution...

Very interesting.

Whew! I grew up in Erie, PA which is right on Lake Erie
and is in the center of heavy air pollution, according to this graphic.
Thank goodness I moved! Thanks for sharing.

I'm not to see my area has heavy concentrations. I just need to step outside in the summer to know - it's absolutely horrible.