U.S. Air Quality

Smoke Plumes in Kansas and Turbidity in Lake Erie

Air quality was generally good across the nation, except for California with a mix of good and moderate air quality. There is a bit of fire activity over Oklahoma and Kansas with many visible smoke plumes in the eastern half of Kansas (left image). The two images below are today's google earth view of the MODIS Terra RGB and Airnow AQI colors. It also looks generally hazy throughout Kansas and Nebraska. There are also a few scattered moderate AQI monitors in the midwest including Detroit, Chicago, and Milwaukee (right image). Good air quality in Cleveland though. And now, taking advantage of the clear skies today over the midwest ....notice the difference in the color of lake Erie (beautiful dark and light green and brown colors) compared to Lakes Huron and Michigan which look much darker (mostly black). Turbid waters in Lake Erie are most likely causing this. For a closer look at the great lakes, go to the 'UW Modis Today USA Composite' link under Main Data Sources, then click on open in google earth, and zoom in.