Dust Streams from Southwestern Africa

October 21, 2018JPEG

Skies turned temporarily red in Alexander Bay, South Africa, as a thick plume of dust blew through the town on October 21, 2018.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image that morning as northeasterly winds swept through the region. Lengthy dust plumes were also stirred up in this area on October 20.

A low-pressure system situated off the south coast of Namibia fueled the winds, according to AfricaWeather meteorologist Alan Morrison.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Adam Voiland, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Skies in Alexander Bay darkened as the cloud of dust moved past.

References & Resources

The South African (2018, October 21) Watch: Sky turns red as huge dust storm engulfs Alexander Bay. Accessed October 22, 2018.

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Fierce wind picked up and carried huge plumes of sand and dust westward toward the Atlantic Ocean.

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Acquired July 12, 2011, this natural-color image shows a dust storm blowing over the Red Sea toward the Arabian Peninsula.

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A combination of dust and clouds hovered over Africa south of the Sahel at the beginning of March 2009.

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This natural-color image shows camel-colored dust spanning the Red Sea between Sudan and Saudi Arabia on July 15, 2009.