A dust storm swept over the Red Sea on June 21, 2005. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard the Aqua satellite captured this image the same day. Dust obscured the satellite’s view of the Red Sea and the neighboring countries: Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia on the west, and Saudi Arabia and Yemen on the East.
Most of Earth’s dust storms arise in a few regions, including the Sahara and the Middle East. As desertification increases, dust storms are likely to follow. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment has just released its Desertification Synthesis. The report predicts that the planet’s dry regions will spread as the land surface responds to increased human pressure from poor crop and soil management and irrigation misuse.
References & Resources
NASA image courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team , NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center.
