Images
June 3, 2018 - Dust off Africa
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A broad blanket of Saharan dust blew off the coast of Africa and over the North Atlantic Ocean in early June 2018. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on June 1.
The camel-colored dust appears to originate well inland and was carried by broad, strong winds across the Mauritania and Western Sahara – and even across northern Senegal before crossing the coast. The dust pours over the blue waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, swirling over and around the Cape Verde Islands – and beyond. The dust storm in this image appears to stretch more than 1000 km (620 mi) and the dust is so thick in spots that the land and water beneath is obscured from view.
Such dust storms are not uncommon in this region. Saharan sand can be carried through the atmosphere across the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in South America and, less frequently, to parts of North America.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/1/2018
Resolutions:
1km (2.1 MB), 500m (5.4 MB), 250m (3.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A broad blanket of Saharan dust blew off the coast of Africa and over the North Atlantic Ocean in early June 2018. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image on June 1.
The camel-colored dust appears to originate well inland and was carried by broad, strong winds across the Mauritania and Western Sahara – and even across northern Senegal before crossing the coast. The dust pours over the blue waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, swirling over and around the Cape Verde Islands – and beyond. The dust storm in this image appears to stretch more than 1000 km (620 mi) and the dust is so thick in spots that the land and water beneath is obscured from view.
Such dust storms are not uncommon in this region. Saharan sand can be carried through the atmosphere across the Atlantic Ocean to arrive in South America and, less frequently, to parts of North America.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 6/1/2018
Resolutions:
1km (2.1 MB), 500m (5.4 MB), 250m (3.9 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
