White dust from the Bodele Depression scrapes over the Lake Chad region in Eastern Chad in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image acquired by the Terra satellite on March 21, 2004. Hot wind from the Sahara frequently sweeps over the dusty Bodele Depression. The pattern is so common that the winds have scoured a diagonal path in the ground marking its southwesterly flow. The lines are visible in the upper right corner of this image. Once part of Lake Chad, the Bodele Depression is the source of dust in many of Central Africa’s dust storms. In the high-resolution image, which shows 250 meters per pixel, sand dunes can be seen forming along the eastern shores of Lake Chad—another testament to the frequency of blowing dust in the region. The storm was still blowing when the Aqua satellite passed over later in the day.
Image courtesy Jesse Allen, based on data from the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC
