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Dust Plumes off Libya

January 15, 2013

Dust plumes blew over Banghazi (Benghazi) in mid-January 2013. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on January 15, 2013, as plumes blew toward the north-northwest over the coastal city.

Away from the coast, which enjoys a Mediterranean climate, the Libyan landscape consists largely of sand seas. Only about 1 percent of the land is arable, and dust storms rank among the country’s leading natural hazards.

NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Atmosphere Land Dust and Haze

Acquired January 15, 2013, this image shows dust plumes blowing off the coast of Libya.

Instrument:
Aqua — MODIS
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References & Resources

  • CIA World Factbook. (2013, January 7) Libya. Accessed January 17, 2013.