Dust over the Mediterranean

Credit: Jeff Schmaltz; MODIS team; NASA, Posted on: Monday, 25 April 2005, 06:34 CDT Download full size image

A thick band of Saharan dust blows north and west out of Libya (left) and Egypt (right) to almost completely obscure Crete and Greece in this true-color Aqua MODIS image from April 17, 2005. If not for the transparent layer in this image that shows political boundaries, most of the landmasses here would be hidden, either by the thick tan dust or bright white clouds.

The winds that produced this dust storm, which are common in the spring season, blew at an average of 75-89 kilometers per hour (47-55 mph) near the sea’s surface, while stronger winds prevailed higher in the atmosphere. Besides being a visual nuisance, the dust cancelled or delayed flights, as well as halted sea transport.

More Images

Mars
Saltating Gypsum into Dark Polar Dunes.Gypsum is a common water-based mineral found in evaporative beds (ancient lakes or seas) on Earth. ...

---

Universe
Many Colors, Many Moons.Four moons huddle near Saturn's multi-hued disk. The coloration of the planet's northern ...

---