Another dust storm struck the South Aral Sea on September 1, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite took a picture the same day. Although it produced less dramatic dust plumes than the June 13 storm, this storm covered both the eastern and western portions of the South Aral Sea.
Dry lakebed sediments provide ample material for dust storms, and that was probably the case in this storm. Although a dam designed to restore the North Aral Sea showed encouraging progress in 2006, the South Aral Sea remained surrounded by a dried-up lakebed, partially diminished by irrigation projects.
NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center.
