NASA Daily News Summary
For Release: Jan. 5, 2000
Media Advisory m00-003


SUMMARY:

No News Releases Today


Video:

ITEM 1 - THICK HAZE COVERS SOUTHERN CHINA



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If NASA issues any news releases later today, we will e-
mail summaries and Internet URLs to this list.

Index of 2000 NASA News Releases:
http://www.nasa.gov/releases/2000/index.html

Index of 1999 NASA News Releases:
http://www.nasa.gov/releases/1999/index.html

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Video File for Jan. 5, 2000


ITEM 1 - THICK HAZE COVERS SOUTHERN CHINA-----------------TRT 1:30

Contact at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD:  Wade
Sisler (Phone 301/286-6256).
Contact at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC:  David E. Steitz
(Phone 202/358-1730).

URL:  http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html


ITEM 1a - SOUTHERN CHINA HAZE

On Jan. 2, 2000, the Sea Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor
(SeaWiFS) observed a thick layer of haze over southern People's
Republic of China, including the cities of Chengdu, Congqing,
Wuhan, and the archaeologically important city of Xi'an.
Researchers are unclear as to the source of the haze, but it is
thick enough to obscure most of the natural colors reflected from
the ground beneath.


ITEM 1b - SOUTHERN CHINA - CLEAR DAY COMPARISON

The thickness of the haze is made more apparent by comparing an
image taken on a clear day, on Sept. 16, 1998 (first image), with
the January 2 image (second image).  SeaWiFS was originally
designed to monitor the color of oceans around the world.  Since
its launch, SeaWiFS has proved valuable in its ability to monitor
land color, too.  Color is an important indicator of life
processes, from plankton growth to chlorophyll concentration.



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