Images
February 8, 2021 - Dust in Algeria and Morocco
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A massive dust storm rose from eastern Morocco and western Algeria in early February 2021.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a small part of the dust storm on February 5—the day that strong winds first lofted a giant cloud of dust from the Hautes Plaines (high plains region). This image captures the huge cloud as it lifts from the arid sandy region, creating an orange-tinted cloud that completely obscured the land from view. This cloud measured 150 miles (240 km) from west to east and roughly 100 (161 km) miles north to south.
As the dust blew northward, it began to thin as it appeared to mix with cloud, as can be seen near the upper edge of the image. The dust storm continued northward to roll over the city of Oran, Algeria, turning the skies orange-yellow for hours. On February 5, the entire dust storm extended over part of Spain and the Mediterranean Sea-stretching more than 700 miles (1,127 km) from the source in the Hautes Plaines. By February 6, dust covered most of the southeastern half of France, parts of Switzerland and northern Italy, and approached the border of Austria. On February 7, satellite imagery showed that the dust had entrained with cloud, tinting the cloud tan, and stretched eastward over Ukraine and north to cover Poland.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/5/2021
Resolutions:
1km (387.9 KB), 500m (125.2 KB), 250m (362.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
A massive dust storm rose from eastern Morocco and western Algeria in early February 2021.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of a small part of the dust storm on February 5—the day that strong winds first lofted a giant cloud of dust from the Hautes Plaines (high plains region). This image captures the huge cloud as it lifts from the arid sandy region, creating an orange-tinted cloud that completely obscured the land from view. This cloud measured 150 miles (240 km) from west to east and roughly 100 (161 km) miles north to south.
As the dust blew northward, it began to thin as it appeared to mix with cloud, as can be seen near the upper edge of the image. The dust storm continued northward to roll over the city of Oran, Algeria, turning the skies orange-yellow for hours. On February 5, the entire dust storm extended over part of Spain and the Mediterranean Sea-stretching more than 700 miles (1,127 km) from the source in the Hautes Plaines. By February 6, dust covered most of the southeastern half of France, parts of Switzerland and northern Italy, and approached the border of Austria. On February 7, satellite imagery showed that the dust had entrained with cloud, tinting the cloud tan, and stretched eastward over Ukraine and north to cover Poland.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 2/5/2021
Resolutions:
1km (387.9 KB), 500m (125.2 KB), 250m (362.4 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
