May 30, 2013 - Saharan dust over the Mediterranean Sea

Saharan dust over the Mediterranean Sea

Strong winds continued to blow Saharan dust across the Mediterranean Sea in late May, 2013. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the event on May 19, 2013.

A broad veil of tan dust covers almost all of the Mediterranean Sea, reaching from Africa to the Baltic Peninsula. A plume curls northward to cover much of the Adriatic Sea.

Saharan dust storms are common in this region, especially when a weather front brings in gusting winds. Such storms may last four or five days, and can cause respiratory problems in susceptible populations.

To view the storm’s progress, compare this image with the Terra image from May 18: http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2013-05-27 .

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/19/2013
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC