Images
July 17, 2025 - Dust in Afghanistan and Pakistan
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Dense dust covered parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran in mid-July 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of widespread dust on July 12.
The skies within the entire image are dust-laden, with the heaviest dust rising from an area in western Afghanistan near the border with Iran and sweeping in a broad arc to the southeast across Pakistan. The major source of dust in this area is the Hamoun Wetland, an area of marshes and shallow lakes within the Sistan Basin.
Moisture within the Hamoun Wetlands varies throughout the year and may nearly disappear when air temperatures rise and rainfall becomes especially scarce. In the extremely dry months of June, July, August, and September, both water and vegetation disappear, leaving a fine, dry silt exposed. This makes the area a source of intense dust storms that often sweep across the region, especially in summer and early autumn.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/12/2025
Resolutions:
1km (178.5 KB), 500m (468.6 KB), 250m (208.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Dense dust covered parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran in mid-July 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of widespread dust on July 12.
The skies within the entire image are dust-laden, with the heaviest dust rising from an area in western Afghanistan near the border with Iran and sweeping in a broad arc to the southeast across Pakistan. The major source of dust in this area is the Hamoun Wetland, an area of marshes and shallow lakes within the Sistan Basin.
Moisture within the Hamoun Wetlands varies throughout the year and may nearly disappear when air temperatures rise and rainfall becomes especially scarce. In the extremely dry months of June, July, August, and September, both water and vegetation disappear, leaving a fine, dry silt exposed. This makes the area a source of intense dust storms that often sweep across the region, especially in summer and early autumn.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/12/2025
Resolutions:
1km (178.5 KB), 500m (468.6 KB), 250m (208.2 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
