April 2, 2024 - Massive Sandstorm in China

Sandstorms

A low pressure system brought ferocious and dust-laden winds to northeastern China on March 28, 2024. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of airborne dust blanketing eastern China on that same day.

The heaviest dust obscures several northeastern provinces and cities from view, including Heilongjiang province and the city of Harbin, the provincial capital and home to more than 10 million people. In the western section of the province, visibility was reduced to less than one kilometer (0.62 miles) according to news reports.

It was also reported that outdoor sports and activities were cancelled at schools in Beijing due to the sandstorm. In parts of Northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, all work, classes, and modes of transportation were suspended until the dust cleared. Widespread effects of dust were said to affect 13 of China’s provinces. This is the third large sandstorm to affect China since the beginning of the year.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 3/28/2024
Resolutions: 1km (226.7 KB), 500m (675.8 KB), 250m (2.1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC