Suggested Searches

1 min read

Dust over Iraq, Syria, and Turkey

Instruments:
2009-05-21 00:00:00
May 21, 2009

Dust continued blowing over Iraq, Syria, and Turkey on May 21, 2009, mingling with clouds over the Black Sea. Almost two hours after the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite observed the storm, MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite took this picture, at about 1:15 p.m. local time (10:15 UTC).

Compared to the earlier image from Terra, the dust appears thicker over Turkey in this scene, and not quite as thick in Iraq. Dust-free skies immediately west of the storm allow a clear view of part of the Euphrates River as it flows through Syria.

References & Resources

NASA image courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.

You may also be interested in:

Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.

March of the Harmattan
3 min read

Strong winds in March 2026 carried Saharan dust across northwestern Africa and toward the Canary Islands, reducing visibility and prompting…

Article
Dust Outbreak Reaches Europe
3 min read

Clouds of dust lofted from the Sahara Desert brought hazy skies and muddy rain to Western Europe.

Article
Wave of Dust Rolls Through Texas
3 min read

An advancing cold front kicked up a sharp line of sand and other small particles that swept over the high…

Article