September 19, 2014 - Dust storm off Libya

Dust storm off Libya

A plume of dust blew from Libya over the Gulf of Sidra in late September, 2014. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on September 14, 2014.

The dust appears to rise from south of the Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain) in northeast Libya. The Jebel Akhdar is one of the few forested areas in Libya and the wettest part. South of this green area, and away from the coast, Libya’s land mainly consists of arid sand seas. Only about 1 percent of Libya’s land is arable, and dust storms rank among the country’s leading natural hazards.

Image Facts
Satellite: Terra
Date Acquired: 9/14/2014
Resolutions: 1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC