June 7, 2008 - Dust Plume over Iraq and Saudi Arabia

Dust plume over Iraq and Saudi Arabia

A dust plume hovered over the Middle East in early June 2008. The MODIS on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image on June 3, 2008. In this image, the dust plume appears as a long arc of beige that curves slightly over the border between Iraq (top) and Saudi Arabia (bottom). (Kuwait is on the right side of the image, and Iran in the top right corner.)

The origin of the plume is not obvious in this image, but both Saudi Arabia and Iraq consist primarily of desert landscapes where dust storms readily arise.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 06/03/2008
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC