August 22, 2007
Clouds, Haze, Ozone...
Skies are mostly cloudy across the Northeast (bottom image; source: UW MODIS Direct). A mixture of clouds and haze is noticeable over the Northern Midwest (AOD; source IDEA).
Lingering haze, currently not affecting surface air quality, is apparent over Florida. Average AOD (image shown below) over this state is ~0.55. Haze was also visible over Georgia and Alabama.
PM2.5 levels are still moderate in California (left image). Ozone (right image) levels are, on average, higher. Elevated levels (PM2.5 & ozone) were reported for mostly the Southern portion of California. AOD derived from MODIS observations are also elevated in this region. The AOD was particularly high near Los Angeles and San Diego. Local fires are likely contributing to these elevated levels. Refer to old posts on the blog for further discussion. Please note: high AOD over Arizona and New Mexico is likely an artifact (~ due to bright surface characteristics).
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Fires are still evident in Idaho:
