Saharan Dust off West Africa

The image above was made using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from both the Terra and Aqua satellites, acquired on January 28, 2003. Stitched together, the composite scene shows a large plume of Saharan Desert dust blowing westward from Africa toward the open Atlantic. The dust (light brown pixels) can be easily distinguished from the brighter white clouds in the image. The west African shoreline can be seen to the right of the image.

Click the image above to access the full-resolution scene, which is available at 500 meters per pixel.

References & Resources

Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

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January 28, 2003

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