Images
September 24, 2020 - Dust Storm in Chad
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On September 23, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of dust blowing across Chad.
The pale beige plumes appear to rise from the Bodele Depression and blow to the southwest. Once the floor of Lake Chad, the Bodele Depression is now one of the Earth’s most active sources of dust. In the mid-1960s, Lake Chad was about the size of Lake Erie. With persistent drought in the region and with increasing use of the lake for irrigation, the lake has been reduced to only about 5 percent of its size. The silt and sediment from the former lake have dried in the baking sun, creating copious amounts of fine particles that can be easily blown by the wind, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles. The dark green area in the lower (southern) section of the image is today’s Lake Chad.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/23/2020
Resolutions:
1km (156 KB), 500m (540.6 KB), 250m (1.5 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On September 23, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of dust blowing across Chad.
The pale beige plumes appear to rise from the Bodele Depression and blow to the southwest. Once the floor of Lake Chad, the Bodele Depression is now one of the Earth’s most active sources of dust. In the mid-1960s, Lake Chad was about the size of Lake Erie. With persistent drought in the region and with increasing use of the lake for irrigation, the lake has been reduced to only about 5 percent of its size. The silt and sediment from the former lake have dried in the baking sun, creating copious amounts of fine particles that can be easily blown by the wind, sometimes traveling hundreds of miles. The dark green area in the lower (southern) section of the image is today’s Lake Chad.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 9/23/2020
Resolutions:
1km (156 KB), 500m (540.6 KB), 250m (1.5 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
