July 22, 2016 - Dust storm in Afghanistan

Dust storm in Afghanistan

Strong winds blew a heavy cloud of dust across Afghanistan in mid-July 2016. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured this true-color image on July 13 as it passed over the region. Dust also reaches over Iran (west) and Pakistan (south).

The dust appeared to rise from the Hamoun wetlands which are found along the border of Afghanistan and Iran. The wetlands once lived up to their name and provided water for fishing, farming, and harbored more than 150 species of migratory birds. Due to both drought and heavy water usage, the lakebeds have dried and now are a source of dust, sand, and salt.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 7/13/2016
Resolutions: 1km (144.9 KB), 500m (526.1 KB), 250m (1.3 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC