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Plumes of dust poured across northern Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea in early September 2016. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on September 8.
Two separate plumes appear in this image. The first is a large, light-colored tan plume that originates well inland and blows broadly north, obscuring the land underneath for several hundred miles. A second, smaller orange-tinted plume appears to originate from a smaller source nearer the coast.
Dust storms are a common occurrence and the primary natural hazard in Libya. They are often driven by hot, dry south or southeasterly wind known as the ghibili. Strong winds and dust storms can occur any time of the year, but are more common in the spring and fall.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 9/8/2016
Resolutions:
1km (68.3 KB), 500m (230.3 KB), 250m (551.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC