Mediterranean Dust Storm

Mediterranean Dust Storm

A dust storm was blowing over the Mediterranean Sea from Algeria (left) on August 19, 2003. This image of the storm was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. A few fires have been detected by MODIS and are marked with red dots across Algeria, Tunisia (to the east) and the island of Sardinia (to the northeast).

The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS’ maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters.

Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC