July 10, 2010 - Dust Storm over the Red Sea

Dust Storm over the Red Sea

A dust storm was visible over the Red Sea when the MODIS on the Terra satellite captured this image on June 29, 2010. Though a thinner cloud of dust does cover much of the region, the thickest dust cloud is blowing out of Sudan. The dust cloud is so dense than nothing is visible beneath it.

Saharan dust storms such as this one are extremely common in Sudan. They are called "haboobs". Here is a photo of what one looks like from the ground.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 06/29/2010
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC