July 30, 2021 - Dust plume in Iraq
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On July 27, 2021, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a true-color of a
Middle-Eastern dust storm in progress. Strong winds raised dust from
point sources south-east of Baghdad and carried them southeastward over
Saudi Arabia. The dust plume measured about 250 miles (400 km) long and
was so thick in some places that it obscured the ground from view.
The origin of the dust in this storm lies in the alluvial plain between
the Tigris and Euphrates River. This area was part of the “Fertile
Crescent” and has historically been a rich agricultural region that
grew enough crops to help feed much of the Middle East. While
agriculture still exists in this region, local droughts and
human-caused water shortages has led to desertification in many areas
of the alluvial plain.
Image Facts
Satellite: Aqua
Date Acquired: 7/27/2021
Resolutions: 1km (619 KB), 500m (1.6 MB), 250m (884.6 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2021-07-30
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