Images
May 8, 2010 - Dust storm in Eastern Washington
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A dust storm blew across central Washington state on May 3, 2010. The MODIS on the Aqua satellite captured this image during its afternoon overpass. This webcam image of I-90 captured by the Washington State Department of Transportation also on May 3, shows the poor visibility on the ground during the storm.
This region had a severe dust storm last October. In both storms, the dust appears to be originating from agricultural regions. Dryland agriculture is common in arid eastern Washington. Dryland farmers rely entirely on rainfall to sustain their crops, and as a result, do many things to preserve moisture in the soil. Some of these practices—leaving a field fallow after harvest to allow water to build in the soil for a year or covering the field with dry soil to prevent underlying moisture from evaporating—make dryland agriculture very prone to dust storms.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 05/03/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A dust storm blew across central Washington state on May 3, 2010. The MODIS on the Aqua satellite captured this image during its afternoon overpass. This webcam image of I-90 captured by the Washington State Department of Transportation also on May 3, shows the poor visibility on the ground during the storm.
This region had a severe dust storm last October. In both storms, the dust appears to be originating from agricultural regions. Dryland agriculture is common in arid eastern Washington. Dryland farmers rely entirely on rainfall to sustain their crops, and as a result, do many things to preserve moisture in the soil. Some of these practices—leaving a field fallow after harvest to allow water to build in the soil for a year or covering the field with dry soil to prevent underlying moisture from evaporating—make dryland agriculture very prone to dust storms.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 05/03/2010
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
