Images
March 7, 2011 - Dust storm in the Middle East
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Dust continued to blow across the Middle East on March 4, 2011, travelling along the Tigris-Euphrates River valley and forming a large opaque swirl over the Persian Gulf. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite passed over the region and acquired this natural-color image the same day.
A northwest wind lifts sand from multiple sources along the Iraq-Syria border, driving clouds of dust toward the southeast. The fine sediments of the Tigris-Euphrates River basins are also rich sources of dust in this region. In the Persian Gulf, a plume of tan dust appears to arise from Kharq Island. The spreading dust is limited by the Zagros Mountains of western Iran; to the east of these mountains the air is clear and dust-free.
Dust storms can take a wide variety of shapes and forms, but there are three main types: shamal, frontal and convective. The most common type across the Middle East is the shamal. It can be hard to distinguish between types of storm, and various types can overlap. The term “shamal” means “north” in Arabic, and refers to the prevailing wind direction from which this type of dust storm arises.
Most winter shamal dust storms occur as cold frontal systems cross the area. Others are created by the funneling of very cold air masses from Turkey or Syria towards the south down the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley in Iraq and over the Persian Gulf.
In this image, Iran is to the north and east with the Zagros Mountains near the western border. Iraq is the central country, and home to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The sands of Saudi Arabia appear orange, and only partially veiled by dust. The small country of Kuwait lies on the Persian Gulf and is entirely covered in blowing sand.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 3/4/2011
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Dust continued to blow across the Middle East on March 4, 2011, travelling along the Tigris-Euphrates River valley and forming a large opaque swirl over the Persian Gulf. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite passed over the region and acquired this natural-color image the same day.
A northwest wind lifts sand from multiple sources along the Iraq-Syria border, driving clouds of dust toward the southeast. The fine sediments of the Tigris-Euphrates River basins are also rich sources of dust in this region. In the Persian Gulf, a plume of tan dust appears to arise from Kharq Island. The spreading dust is limited by the Zagros Mountains of western Iran; to the east of these mountains the air is clear and dust-free.
Dust storms can take a wide variety of shapes and forms, but there are three main types: shamal, frontal and convective. The most common type across the Middle East is the shamal. It can be hard to distinguish between types of storm, and various types can overlap. The term “shamal” means “north” in Arabic, and refers to the prevailing wind direction from which this type of dust storm arises.
Most winter shamal dust storms occur as cold frontal systems cross the area. Others are created by the funneling of very cold air masses from Turkey or Syria towards the south down the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley in Iraq and over the Persian Gulf.
In this image, Iran is to the north and east with the Zagros Mountains near the western border. Iraq is the central country, and home to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The sands of Saudi Arabia appear orange, and only partially veiled by dust. The small country of Kuwait lies on the Persian Gulf and is entirely covered in blowing sand.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 3/4/2011
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
