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August 25, 2026 - Dust in Algeria
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South-central Algeria was buried under a cloud of dust on August 14, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the massive dust storm on that same day.
The billowing tan cloud covered an area of about 127,000 square kilometers (49,000 square miles), which is roughly the size of the country of Slovakia or slightly larger than the U.S. state of Ohio. In most of this area, the dust was so thick that it obscured the ground from view.
Sand seas, including Erg Chech, sprawl across the borders of Algeria, Mauritania, and Mali while the Tenéré Desert occupies much of Niger. These sandy regions within the larger Sahara Desert provide ample material for dust storms whenever the air becomes gusty, especially in hot weather. High temperatures destabilize air near the ground, allowing even light winds to loft dust particles into the air.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/24/2026
Resolutions:
1km (531.7 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (611.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
South-central Algeria was buried under a cloud of dust on August 14, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired this true-color image of the massive dust storm on that same day.
The billowing tan cloud covered an area of about 127,000 square kilometers (49,000 square miles), which is roughly the size of the country of Slovakia or slightly larger than the U.S. state of Ohio. In most of this area, the dust was so thick that it obscured the ground from view.
Sand seas, including Erg Chech, sprawl across the borders of Algeria, Mauritania, and Mali while the Tenéré Desert occupies much of Niger. These sandy regions within the larger Sahara Desert provide ample material for dust storms whenever the air becomes gusty, especially in hot weather. High temperatures destabilize air near the ground, allowing even light winds to loft dust particles into the air.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 8/24/2026
Resolutions:
1km (531.7 KB), 500m (1.3 MB), 250m (611.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
