Central Africa Dust Storm

An intense dust storm stretched across Central Africa and spread out over the Atlantic for thousands of kilometers.
Central Africa Dust Storm
Image

Central Africa Dust Storm

This image was taken from the International Space Station on March 8, 2004, from a position about 1400 kilometers off the coast of Mauritania (about 600 kilometers west of the Cape Verde Islands). Looking northwest, this image shows the dusty Saharan airmass in the lower third of the view, with clear air beyond a marked northeast-trending boundary. The dust, which originated in Central Africa, is blowing west southwest, parallel to the front—a common trajectory during northern winters.

Published Mar 12, 2004

Atmosphere Land Dust and Haze

Central Africa Dust Storm
Image

Central Africa Dust Storm

Published Mar 9, 2004

Dust and Haze