November 20, 2014 - Dust storm in northeastern China

Dust storm in northeastern China

Strong winds drove dust over northeastern China in mid-November, 2014. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on November 12 as it passed over the region.

Dust rises from the arid land of Inner Mongolia and blows in thick, tan streams towards the southeast and over the Bohai Sea. Dust storms occur frequently in this region, most frequently in the springtime, from March to May. The particulates usually originate in the deserts of Mongolia, Northern China and Kazakhstan and can be transported over Eastern China, North and South Korea, Japan, and have even arrived in the United States during long-range transport events.

Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 11/12/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC