Gobi Dust over the Sea of Japan

Gobi Dust over the Sea of Japan

Gobi dust continued traveling on May 13, 2011, sweeping over the Sea of Japan. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture the same day.

The thickest dust plume over the Sea of Japan extends primarily north-south. In the north, the sand mingles with clouds. East of the main dust plume, a thinner veil of dust skirts the Japanese coast, and some dust may hover over that island. Closer to the Korean Peninsula, skies appear clear.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.