Seasonality: The anthropogenic East Asian Plume (EAP) is unique as it is a constant presence throughout the year with the higher values of aerosol optical depth in the northern spring and early summer between February and July.
Sources Anthropogenic: The anthropogenic EAP derives from: industry, transport and fires both domestic and agricultural.
Sources Natural: Desert dust from the Gobi desert contributes sporadic aerosols to the plume.
Trajectory: The aerosols exit to the north east across the northern Pacific Ocean towards North America.
Most Extreme: The April 2006 EAP was the most extreme in the Terra satellite dataset. The NASA image for this month is shown here.
Effects: My research on the effects of the EAP is ongoing.