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February 2, 2025 - Dust Storm in Iraq
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Strong northwest winds swept over Iraq on January 30, 2025, picking up a stream of tan-colored dust and carrying it towards the Persian Gulf. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the dust storm on that same day.
The dust rises in the Tigris-Euphrates river basin and blows to the southeast, covering Nasiriyah and almost reaching Basrah. This river basin is the primary non-desert source of dust in the Middle East. Dust storms are most common during the drier summer months when shamal winds are frequent. Shamal winds, which are strong winds blowing from the northwest or north-northwest, also occur in winter, although shorter and often less intense. Shamal gusts can easily reach up to 43 miles per hour (70 km/h).
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/30/2025
Resolutions:
1km (108.1 KB), 500m (271.7 KB), 250m (455.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Strong northwest winds swept over Iraq on January 30, 2025, picking up a stream of tan-colored dust and carrying it towards the Persian Gulf. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the dust storm on that same day.
The dust rises in the Tigris-Euphrates river basin and blows to the southeast, covering Nasiriyah and almost reaching Basrah. This river basin is the primary non-desert source of dust in the Middle East. Dust storms are most common during the drier summer months when shamal winds are frequent. Shamal winds, which are strong winds blowing from the northwest or north-northwest, also occur in winter, although shorter and often less intense. Shamal gusts can easily reach up to 43 miles per hour (70 km/h).
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 1/30/2025
Resolutions:
1km (108.1 KB), 500m (271.7 KB), 250m (455.3 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
