The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of a large dust storm sweeping across eastern China on March 12, 2010. In the natural-color (photo-like) image, a ribbon of tan dust extends across the North China Plain and over the Yellow Sea towards the Korean Peninsula. A bank of clouds, probably from the same weather system that caused the dust storm, frames the northern edge of the airborne dust. The source of the dust is not clear from this image, but the dust appears to have been transported from the west.
In the large image, thick haze blankets the area southwest of the dust storm. While the haze may contain dust, it is likely smoke from widespread fires in Southeast Asia. The large image is the highest resolution version of the image. The image is available in additional resolutions from the MODIS Rapid Response System.
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NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Holli Riebeek.
