Sandstorm in China and Mongolia

Sentinel-2 MSI acquired on 15 March 2021
Sentinel-5P TROPOMI AER_AI acquired on 15 March 2021
Sentinel-5P TROPOMI AER_AI acquired on 16 March 2021
Sentinel-5P TROPOMI AER_AI acquired on 17 March 2021
Sentinel-5P TROPOMI AER_AI acquired on 18 March 2021
Author(s): Sentinel Vision team, VisioTerra, France - svp@visioterra.fr
Keyword(s): Atmosphere, meteorology, air quality, health, deforestation, erosion, China, Mongolia, Korea, Gobi desert
Fig. 1 - S2 (15.03.2021) - View of a sand-covered sky in North-East China, Beijing lies under the north-west tile.
Fig. 2 - S5P TROPOMI (15.03.2021) - Aerosol Index - The 2021 East Asia sandstorm began in the Eastern Gobi desert steppe on March 14.
Fig. 3 - S5P TROPOMI (16.03.2021) - It spread to the southern Mongolian Plateau, the Loess Plateau, the North China Plain and the Korean Peninsula.
Fig. 4 - S5P TROPOMI (17.03.2021) - It is caused by strong northwest winds coming in from Mongolia, as a result of hot and dry conditions.
Fig. 5 - S5P TROPOMI (15.03.2021) - The sandstorm was the biggest to hit China in a decade, causing pollution levels in some districts to rise to 160 times the recommended limit. The issue has been compounded since the 1950s due to widespread deforestation and soil erosion.