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China enveloped in smog, as seen from space. Again.

Heavy smog that paralyzed eastern China is visible from space in this satellite image from NASA.

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


In what is unfortunately becoming a running series on Plugged In, here is another satellite image of Chinese air pollution from space:

The Suomi NPP satellite captured this image on October 22, 2013. The heavy smog is caused by industrial pollution, coal and agricultural burning, and has been trapped by the mountains to the west and wind patterns.

This image comes after the news that smog was so bad that air traffic in Harbin, China, a city of 11 million people (not shown), was shut down as particulate matter exceeded the index for measuring air quality. Poor air quality is not unique to eastern China. In January 2013 air pollution reached alarming levels in Beijing (see "Beijing's air pollution as seen from space").


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Perhaps smog will replace the Great Wall of China as the largest man-made creation seen from space.

David Wogan is an engineer and policy researcher who writes about energy, technology, and policy.

David's academic and professional background includes a unique blend of technology and policy in the field of energy systems. Most recently, David worked at Austin Energy, a Texas municipal utility, implementing a Department of Energy stimulus grant related to energy efficiency. Previously, David was a member of the Energy & Climate Change team at the White House Council on Environmental Quality for the Obama Administration.

David holds two Master's degrees from The University of Texas at Austin in Mechanical Engineering and Public Affairs. While at UT, David was a researcher in the Webber Energy Group, where his research focused on advanced biofuel production to offset petroleum use in the transportation sector. David holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, where he researched nuclear non-proliferation measurement technology.

David is a 2013 Aspen Institute Journalism Scholar, joining a select group of journalists from Slate, ABC News, and The New York Times.

David lives in Austin, Texas. Follow along on Twitter or email him at david.wogan@me.com.

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