Saharan Dust Storm

Saharan Dust Storm

A dust storm blew southward from Algeria into Niger and Mali on August 4, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears in pale beige, obscuring the land features below. The dust appears to originate from multiple points in Algeria. Home to three massive sand seas—Grand Erg Oriental in the northeast, Grand Erg Occidental in the northwest, and Erg Chech near the southern border—Algeria provides ample material for Saharan dust storms.

NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides daily images of this region.