February 14, 2014 - Asia Minor and the Middle East

Asia Minor and the Middle East

On February 5, 2014 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite capture a beautiful nearly cloud – free image of Asia Minor and the Middle East.

The blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea grace the center of the image, with the island of Cyprus south of Turkey. The Black Sea washes the northern coast of Turkey, and north of the Black Sea the bold, rugged ridges of the Caucasus Mountains are coated with a blanket of white snow. At the northern edge of the Caucasus Mountains lies Sochi, the formerly small resort village which has now become the site of the winter Olympics.

The broad green triangle in on the south shore of the Mediterranean Sea is the Nile Delta, in northern Egypt, and in the southeast, the largest arid country, partially covered by wispy clouds, is Saudi Arabia.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 2/5/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC