May 24, 2015 - Dust storm in central Sudan

Dust storm in central Sudan

Large volumes of light tan dust blew across Sudan in mid-May, 2015. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) captured this true-color image on May 15 as it passed over the region.

The tan plume is so thick that it obscures the land beneath it as it passes over the White Nile River and the greening agricultural land near the river. The driving wind appears to be blowing towards the northeast, rolling the dust in a stream with a well demarcated frontal boundary. Ahead of the front of the storm the air is clear, allowing the land to be clearly seen, including Lake Tana. The skies in the southwest, however, carry a fine layer of dust, making the landscape appear slightly hazy from space. A few fires, which appear as red hotspots, dot the landscape.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/15/2015
Resolutions: 1km (158.8 KB), 500m (500.4 KB), 250m (1.1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC