Satellite Data Reveal Seasonal Pollution Shifts Across India

A new analysis of satellite data, collected over a decade, has identified the concentration, distribution, and composition of aerosol pollution over the Indian subcontinent. Using the multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer (MISR) from NASA’s Terra spacecraft, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, were able to document high levels of natural and human-caused pollution and reveal unexpected seasonal shifts in pollution. While the densely-populated sub-continent lacks the technology to measure aersol pollution at the ground level, the MISR technology allows researchers to observe and measure particles in the air. Aerosol pollution across much of the country was two to five times higher than World Health Organization standards, with levels fluctuating during the seasons as monsoon rains wash away much of the smog and particulate matter, according to the study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.