Our planet's polluted air, in 1 stunning image

From flooding to wildfires to off-season storms, humans have seen many consequences of climate change. But perhaps one of the least-known repercussions is the worldwide presence of tiny specks of solid particles and liquid droplets that have infiltrated our atmosphere. Whenever you take a breath, chances are you're inhaling many of these "aerosols."

NASA last week published a telling image that will give you an idea of how bad the problem really is:

This stunning visualization is based on data collected last Thursday, Aug. 23, as wildfires, cyclones, and hurricanes plagued our planet, Engadget reported Monday. Each brightly-colored area represents a worrisome concentration of aerosols in the air.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

NASA modeled this map using data from the Goddard Earth Observing System, using different colors to represent different types of aerosols. Red signals carbon emissions caused by fires or vehicle emissions, blue represents the sea spray absorbed into the air during a hurricane, and purple indicates high volumes of dust particles, Inverse explained.

While it may look beautiful, the map paints a picture that has many experts worried about the quality of the air we breathe. Learn more about the map and what it represents at Engadget.