On March 2, 2007, a dust storm blew out of Saudi Arabia, northward over the Persian Gulf, and into Iran. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows the dust plume originating in Saudi Arabia and heading northward, directly over the small nation of Qatar. Over the Persian Gulf, the plume takes on an unusual appearance, with thin tendrils of dust alternating with clear sky. This might result from air currents over the water carving into the dust plume. North of the gulf, the plume mingles with clouds, giving some of them a dingy appearance.
NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, Goddard Space Flight Center.
