Dust Storm off the Western Sahara Coast

  • Credit

    Jacques Descloitres

Thick tan streamers of dust blow out from the Western Sahara over the Atlantic Ocean in this true-color Aqua MODIS image from New Year's Day 2005. The Saharan Desert dust stretches for a few hundred kilometers off the coast, while underneath the veil blue-green sediment creates a halo along the shore. At the bottom edge of the dust storm, a phenomenon similar to atmospheric gravity waves creates ripples pointing toward land.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Aqua/MODIS

  • MODIS Bands

    1,4,3

  • Display Date

    January 5, 2005