Dust over the Arabian Sea

Dust over the Arabian Sea

Dust blew over the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea on July 15, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, a thin layer of dust hangs in the air over the region, blending in with the clouds to the east. Although the dust is not particularly thick, it covers a large area. Summer heat contributes to dust storms by creating atmospheric conditions where even light winds can raise dust clouds.

NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team.