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Dust from Pakistan and Iran
| Title |
Dust from Pakistan and Iran |
| Description |
Winds blowing down from the Makran Coast Range in Western Pakistan (right) and Eastern Iran (left) are carrying dust over the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Such wind patterns commonly blow dust from the coastal valleys into the water. This storm was recorded by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) on the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on March 23, 2004. The horizontal stripes evident over the water mark the beginning and the end of the rotation of MODIS' double-sided scan mirror. The lines are caused by minute differences in the two sides of the scan mirror. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS' maximum resolution. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004083-0323/Pakistan.A2004083.0855 ]. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust from Southwest Asia ove
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| Title |
Dust from Southwest Asia over Arabian Sea |
| Description |
On May 8, 2005, a veil of dust from the arid landscapes of southern Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan hung over the Arabian Sea. The S-shaped, olive green path of the Indus River in western Pakistan appears washed out beneath the dust. When this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the wind was stirring dust from valley deserts and spreading it southward across the mountainous coastal terrain of Iran (which occupies most of the upper left of the scene) and Pakistan (which occupies most of the upper right). NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust from Southwest Asia ove
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| Title |
Dust from Southwest Asia over Arabian Sea |
| Description |
On May 8, 2005, a veil of dust from the arid landscapes of southern Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan hung over the Arabian Sea. The S-shaped, olive green path of the Indus River in western Pakistan appears washed out beneath the dust. When this image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite, the wind was stirring dust from valley deserts and spreading it southward across the mountainous coastal terrain of Iran (which occupies most of the upper left of the scene) and Pakistan (which occupies most of the upper right). NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA-GSFC |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Iran and Pakistan |
| Description |
Dust plumes blew off the coasts of Iran and Pakistan and over the Arabian Sea on January 4, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image the same day. Here, the dust plumes appear as pale beige wisps. One apparent source for the dust can be seen in Pakistan, perhaps 150 kilometers inland from the coast. South of the dust plumes, white clouds dot the sky. Aside from bands of greenish blue—resulting from shallow water and/or sediment—along the coast, the ocean appears dark blue. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Iran and Pakistan |
| Description |
Dust plumes blew off the coasts of Iran and Pakistan on October 29, 2007. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the pale beige plumes fan out over the deep blue Arabian Sea. The plumes appear thickest along the Iran-Pakistan border, and grow thinner to the east. The air over the land surface appears largely clear, implying that these dust plumes have arisen very near the coastline. Isolated clouds hover over the water in the south. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?ArabianSea ] of this region. |
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Dust off Pakistan
| Title |
Dust off Pakistan |
| Description |
Plumes of dust blew off the coasts of Pakistan and Iran on November 22, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image of the dust plumes blowing over the Arabian Sea the same day. In this image, the dust appears as elongated clouds of pale beige heading towards the southwest. The thickest plume blows off Pakistan, some 500 kilometers east of the border with Iran. Other plumes appear more transparent. As the plumes advance far enough off the coast, they appear to change direction, perhaps due to a weather system associated with the clouds in the south. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust over Arabian Sea
| Title |
Dust over Arabian Sea |
| Description |
A massive dust storm on December 12, 2003, almost completely obscured large parts of southwest Asia at the time of this image, which was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite. Thick clouds of tan-colored dust wash over Iran (left), Afghanistan (top right), and Pakistan (bottom right). From Iran, the wave of dust is crashing over the Gulf of Oman, which opens into the Arabian Sea (bottom). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at additional spatial resolutions, including MODIS? maximum resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Arabian Sea |
| Description |
A number of jets of windblown desert dust (light brown plumes) were blowing over the Gulf of Oman (middle left) and the Arabian Sea (bottom center) on May 2, 2003. Originating from the Arabian Peninsula (left) as well as Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (top center and top right, respectively), the dust obscures the surface over much of the region. This image was made using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites at hours apart on the same day. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Arabian Sea |
| Description |
On February 10, 2007, a dust plume lingered over the Arabian Sea. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows the horseshoe-shaped dust plume hanging over the ocean, just east of the coast of Oman. Although the source of this dust plume is not immediately obvious, the dust likely blew off the coasts of Pakistan and Iran. A close examination of the high-resolution imagery reveals small tendrils of dust linking those coasts and the larger plume. NASA image by Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Arabian Sea |
| Description |
In early December 2002, strong winds were blowing dust and sand from the Makran Mountains in southern Pakistan and Iran out over the Arabian Sea. The above true-color image of the dust plumes was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, flying aboard NASA?s Aqua spacecraft. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea
| Title |
Dust over the Arabian Sea |
| Description |
A number of jets of windblown desert dust (light brown plumes) were blowing over the Arabian Sea on March 2, 2003. Originating from the Arabian Peninsula (middle left) as well as Iran and Pakistan (top center and top right, respectively) the dust obscures the surface over much of the region. Notice the very thin line of clouds, much whiter and brighter than the dust, running southeastward over the Gulf of Oman and demarcating the edge of the front. Another similar cloud pattern can be seen south of Oman. Notice also the vertical discontinuity running from top to bottom through the center of this scene. This image was made using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors flying aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites at hours apart on the same day. The scene appears a bit different to each satellite not only because the clouds and dust plumes are moving, but also because the relative angle of the sun is changing. In the righthand image (Aqua MODIS), you can discern more dark green structure in the Indian Ocean, indicating the presence of phytoplankton. The intense biological activity going on there is quite likely being enhanced by the influx of iron-rich desert dust settling into the waters there over recent days. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Dust Plume over Afghanistan
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| Title |
Dust Plume over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
On July 21, 2007, a dust plume several hundred kilometers across swept through Afghanistan and Pakistan, largely missing neighboring Iran. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears as a beige swirl over the arid landscape. A break in the plume allows a relatively clear view of the land surface along the border between southern Afghanistan and Pakistan. Otherwise, dust obscures much of the view, although the dust thins somewhat in the southeast. Although dust mostly misses Iran, at least some of the storm appears to originate along the Iran-Afghanistan border. Source points for the storm appear in an area known as the Hamoun wetlands, once an oasis for people and wildlife. By the start of the twenty-first century, a combination of expanded irrigation and severe drought had sucked the region dry, and winds that had once been cooled by wetland water began blowing dust. The pale color of this dust plume is consistent with that of dried wetland soils. For more information on the Hamoun wetlands, see the Earth Observatory feature story From Wetland to Wasteland. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/hamoun/ ] NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust Storm in Pakistan
| Title |
Dust Storm in Pakistan |
| Description |
A large storm is blowing thick plumes of desert dust over the Arabian Sea. The dust is coming from the shores of Pakistan (right) and Iran (left). The pattern seen in this image is common. Winds often blow down from Makran Coast Range in Western Pakistan and Eastern Iran into the coastal valleys, and carry dust out over the Sea. This Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image was acquired by the Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite on November 24, 2003. The high resolution image provided above is at 500 meters per pixel. The image is also available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003328-1124/Pakistan.A2003328.0640 ]. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm in Pakistan
| Title |
Dust Storm in Pakistan |
| Description |
A thin veil of white dust blurs the shorelines of Iran and Pakistan in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ] (MODIS) image. The image, taken on November 23, 2003, by the Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite, shows blowing dust from the deserts and dry lakes in Iran (left), Pakistan (right), and Afghanistan (upper right in the high resolution image). The most obvious plumes are over the Persian Gulf, left, and the Gulf of Oman, right. In addition to the dust over the water, the high resolution image shows dust storms in Northern Pakistan?s Hamun-i-Mashkel and Afghanistan?s Gowd-e-Zereh, both dry lake beds. The high-resolution image provided above is at MODIS?s maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters per pixel. The image is available in additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2003327-1123/Pakistan.A2003327.0905 ]. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan |
| Description |
On August 17, 2004, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), aboard NASA?s Terra satellite, observed a large plume of dust blowing out of the Sistan Basin and fanning out over a large portion of southern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Once a lush oasis spanning more than 2,000 square kilometers (800 square miles), the Hamoun Wetlands [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/hamoun/ ] were a major source of food and shelter for the people of Central Asia. Within the last decade, however, human mismanagement of the rivers feeding the once fertile wetlands has converted them mostly into salt flats?desiccated and almost devoid of life. The light sediment that once rested on the bottom of the Hamoun?s marshes now lies exposed to sun and wind. The frequent strong winds blowing through the region easily scoop up the dried silt and carry it aloft for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers. Such dust storms appear to be increasing in frequency and severity as residents in southern Afghanistan report that, during the last several years, the skies overhead have been the dustiest in living memory. The solid black line in this scene shows the border between the countries of Iran (to the left), Afghanistan (top), and Pakistan (bottom right). North in this image is toward the top. The high-resolution copy available here is 250 meters per pixel. There are also additional resolutions available. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan |
| Description |
On August 12, 2007, a dust storm formed where the borders of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan meet. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. This image shows the pale beige plumes of dust sweeping from the northwest in a counter-clockwise direction. The image also shows some of the source points for the plumes. From source points along the Iran-Afghanistan border, the storm covers part of northern Pakistan. NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. The Rapid Response Team provides daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?Afghanistan/ ] of this region. |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
…
| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
Across the dark brown ridges and rock formations of southern Afghanistan (top), Iran (left) and Pakistan (bottom right) streamers of pale dust swirl over the arid terrain in this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from August 20, 2003, from the Terra satellite. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS? maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
Sandstorms that have been scouring southwestern Afghanistan since early June 2003 are being called the worst in living memory by residents of the area. The dust and sand have buried villages, filled waterways, destroyed crops and killed livestock. The storms are persisting longer than expected, creating a huge environmental problem for the residents of this region. Most of the windblown dust appears to be originating in the Sistan Basin, which is home to the Hamoun Wetlands straddling the border between Iran and Afghanistan. Persistent drought conditions there, coupled with increased irrigation off the Helmand River, have quickly turned these wetlands into arid salt pans. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
The brown and tan landscape of deserts and rugged mountains in southern Afghanistan (top), northwest Pakistan (below), and southeastern Iran (left) may seem devoid of human presence, even moon-like. But tens of thousands of people do live in this region, and they have been suffering through months of devastating sandstorms like the one pictured blowing across the center of this Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from September 23, 2003. The image shows the green vegetation growing along the banks of the Helmand River, which flows toward the center of the scene from top right. The river brings life-giving water to portions of the Margo Desert (center). The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
A white veil of dust had settled over the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea on October 8, 2004, when the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor aboard the OrbView-2 satellite captured this image. The dust is blowing out of the dried Hamoun Wetlands in the Sistan Basin straddling the Afghanistan/Iran border. Most of the dust is trapped in southwestern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan by the Central Makran Mountains, though some has escaped through river valleys and is blowing over the sea. The verdant green strip running down the right edge of the image is formed by the Indus River and the agricultural land it supports. NASA images courtesy the SeaWiFS Project [ http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ], NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE [ http://www.orbimage.com/ ]. |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Afghanistan and Pakistan |
| Description |
Prolonged and severe drought has taken its toll on the once vital HamounWetlands in southwestern Afghanistan and eastern Iran. Formerly a green oasis for over half a million birds, the wetlands are now a desert tan in this image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite. According to the United Nations Environment Program [ http://www.grid.unep.ch/activities/global_change/sistan.php ] (UNEP), the Helmand River, which feeds the wetlands, had been running up to 98 percent below its annual average during the past six years of drought. Decades of conflict and poor water management have also contributed to the withering of the wetlands. In 2003, the UNEP reported that 99 percent of the wetlands had dried up. The newly exposed silt is easily picked up on the wind, and dust storms frequently sweep through the Sistan Basin where the wetlands were located. On October 7, 2004, MODIS observed one such storm blanketing much of southern Afghanistan and part of Pakistan with a thick cloud of tan dust. To learn more, please read, "From Wetland to Wasteland." [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/hamoun/ ] The high-resolution copy available above is 250 meters per pixel. Additional resolutions [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004281-1007/Pakistan.A2004281.0650 ] are also available. NASA image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response team, Goddard Space Flight Center |
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Dust Storm over Gulf of Oman
| Title |
Dust Storm over Gulf of Oman |
| Description |
Two thick plumes of desert dust (light browns) were blowing over Oman and across the Gulf of Oman toward Iran and Pakistan on February 18, 2003. The same strong winds that lofted the dust eastward across the coast of Oman may also be responsible for the heightened turbidity (turquoise pixels) in the Persian Gulf (upper left). This true-color image was acquired by the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS), aboard the OrbView-2 satellite. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/redirect?http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEAWIFS.html ] NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE |
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Dust Storm over Pakistan
| Title |
Dust Storm over Pakistan |
| Description |
A dust storm blew off the southern coasts of Pakistan and Iran, flowing out over the Arabian Sea on June 1, 2006. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] flying onboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite took this picture the same day. In this image, the dust appears as pale beige swirls over the ocean water. The dust appears thickest in the east, south of Pakistan. To the east of the dust storm is some cloud cover. Dust storms often result from extremely hot, dry conditions, and they occur frequently in the Middle East. According to news reports, Pakistan suffered a severe heat wave in May 2006, and temperatures remained high at the beginning of June. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Dust Storm over Southern Asi
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| Title |
Dust Storm over Southern Asia |
| Description |
A new and massive dust storm (light brown) erupted out of the Sistan Basin straddling the border between Iran and Afghanistan on April 29, 2004. The dust blew southward and spread out over a wide area, covering most of southern Afghanistan and western Pakistan. (The borders between those countries are traced here in black.) The dust can be seen here extending well out over the Arabian Sea (bottom). For more than five millennia, the Sistan Basin served as a cradle for life in what was once a 2,000-square-km (800-square-mile) wetland ecosystem known as the Hamoun Wetlands. Fed mainly by the springtime meltwater running off the mountains to the north and coursing through the Helmand River, the Hamoun Wetlands were replenished every year so that for thousands of years the region was an abundant source of fish, game, and fresh water for farming. But with unprecedented population growth in the region throughout the 20th century, coupled with a relatively sudden and dramatic increase in irrigation off of the Helmand River, the Hamoun Wetlands have almost completely dried up within the last 5 years. What was once a lush ecosystem teeming with life has been replaced by a mostly lifeless salt pan. (For more details, please read From Wetland to Wasteland. [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/hamoun/ ]) The light, silty lakefloor is now vulnerable to the intense heat and strong winds often experienced in this region that, in recent years, have been generating some very impressive dust storms that appear to be increasing in both frequency and severity. This true-color image was captured on April 29, 2004, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov ] satellite. The high-resolution copy available here is 500 meters per pixel. Additional resolution [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004120-0429/Pakistan.A2004120.0915 ] copies of this image are also available. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC |
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Dust Sweeps across the Arabi
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| Title |
Dust Sweeps across the Arabian Sea |
| Description |
Strong winds swept large plumes of dust (tan pixels) off the southern coasts of Iran and Pakistan south and eastward across the Arabian Sea on February 9, 2004. The black line running vertically through the top center of this scene shows the border between Iran and Pakistan, the easternmost tip of the Arabian Peninsula juts in to the left center of the image. This true-color image was acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA?s Terra satellite. Another image [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004040-0209/ArabianSea2.A2004040.0915 ] was acquired a few hours later that same day by MODIS aboard the Aqua. The high-resolution image above is 500 meters per pixel, but both images are available at the sensor?s full resolution [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2004040-0209/ArabianSea.A2004040.0610 ] of 250 meters per pixel. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] at NASA GSFC |
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Massive Dust Storm in Pakist
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| Title |
Massive Dust Storm in Pakistan |
| Description |
This true-color image centered over southwestern Pakistan shows a massive dust storm (tan pixels) filling the skies over much of the region. The black lines indicate Pakistan's borders with its neighbors Iran, to the west, and Afghanistan, to the north. The bright white patches are clouds. This image was acquired on June 7, 2003, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite. The high-resolution image provided above is 500 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides this image at MODIS' maximum spatial resolution of 250 meters. Image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC |
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Tropical Cyclone 03B
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone 03B |
| Description |
Cyclonic storms in the Arabian Sea are rare, but not unheard of. Two tropical cyclones in the space of a month, on the other hand, is quite rare indeed. Unlike its predecessor, Tropical Cyclone Gonu, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=14295 ] Cyclone 03B originated on the opposite side of the Indian Peninsula in the Bay of Bengal. At 11:10 a.m. local time (06:10 UTC) on June 25, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image, Tropical Cyclone 03B was reforming in the Arabian Sea south of the Pakistan coast after having crossed over India. The storm system has a discernible spiraling shape, but does not appear well-formed in this image. The storm has no distinct eye, suggesting that it was not particularly well organized. At the time, sustained winds were measured at 60 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The storm flooded India's Andhra Pradesh province, resulting in 45 deaths, according to Weather Underground. [ http://www.wunderground.com/ ] It also caused flooding and wind damage in Karachi, Pakistan, where the death toll was around 200, according to BBC News. [ http://news.bbc.co.uk/ ] After crossing land, the storm reached the Arabian Sea and began to reform. As of June 26, forecasts were calling for the storm to gain some organization and power, skirt the Pakistan coast, and make landfall again somewhere near the border between Iran and Pakistan. Storm surge from Cyclone 03B was predicted to be moderately high, even though the storm was not strong, since the offshore waters are shallow, similar to the northern Gulf of Mexico. Because these kinds of storms are rare in the area, coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to storm surge damage. You can download a 250-meter-resolution Cyclone 03B KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jun2007/ cyc03b_tmo_2007158.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Gonu
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Gonu |
| Description |
A cyclonic storm like Tropical Cyclone Gonu might not seem an odd sight until you consider that Gonu is heading northwest into the Gulf of Oman. The most recent storm of this magnitude to hit the Sultanate of Oman was in 1977, according to AlJazerra.net (English language). [ http://english.aljazeera.net/English/ ] Given the rarity of these storms in the area, many shore facilities were never constructed to deal with the severe winds, strong rains, and high storm surge. At 10:15 a.m. local time (07:15 UTC) on June 6, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image, Tropical Cyclone Gonu was grazing the gulf shore of Oman. At this time, the powerful storm had lost considerable power and was considered a Category 1 [ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml ] cyclone. Sustained winds were measured at 140 kilometers per hour (85 miles per hour) according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The satellite image shows Gonu bringing rain to both Oman and Iran even as the storm center remains offshore in the Gulf of Oman. Hemmed in by hot desert lands and mountains on both sides of the Gulf, Gonu was predicted to continue to move up the Gulf and lose power before making landfall in southeastern Iran. Because such storms are virtually unheard of in this part of the world, authorities treated the storm with considerable caution: government offices in Oman and most private businesses declared a holiday from June 5 until June 9. They recommended people stay in their homes as much as possible and stock basic supplies and emergency needs, according to Middle East Online. [ http://www.middle-east-online.com ] Residents in low-lying coastal areas in southeastern Iran were also being evacuated, while the fishing fleet in neighboring Pakistan was ordered to stay in as waves battered the shores. Gonu, however, did not appear poised to reach the Straits of Hormuz, and oil shipping from the Persian Gulf had not been significantly disrupted as of June 6, according to a number of news services. NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Tropical Cyclone Gonu
| Title |
Tropical Cyclone Gonu |
| Description |
A cyclonic storm like Tropical Cyclone Gonu might not seem an odd sight until you consider that Gonu occurred in the Gulf of Oman and made landfall in Iran, a nation not known for cyclones. The most recent storm of Gonu's magnitude hit the neighboring Sultanate of Oman was in 1977, according to the news service AlJazerra.net [ http://english.aljazeera.net/English/ ] (English language).Given the rarity of these storms in the area, many shore facilities were never constructed to deal with the severe winds, strong rains, and high storm surge. At 12:55 p.m. local time (09:55 UTC) on June 7, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured this image, Tropical Cyclone Gonu was crossing the Gulf of Oman and heading northward towards the Iranian coast. By this time, the powerful storm had lost considerable power and was considered a mere powerful tropical storm. Sustained winds were measured at 60 kilometers per hour (40 miles per hour) according to the University of Hawaii's Tropical Storm Information Center. [ http://www.solar.ifa.hawaii.edu/Tropical/ ] The satellite image shows Gonu bringing rain to both Oman and Iran as it heads north to the Iranian coastline. Because such storms are virtually unheard of in this part of the world, authorities have treated the storm with considerable caution: government offices in Oman and most private businesses declared a holiday from June 5 until June 9. They recommended people stay in their homes as much as possible and stock basic supplies and emergency needs, according to Middle East Online. [ http://www.middle-east-online.com ] Residents in low-lying coastal areas in southeastern Iran were also being evacuated, while the fishing fleet in neighboring Pakistan was ordered to stay in as waves battered the shores. Gonu, however, did not appear poised to reach the Straits of Hormuz, and oil shipping from the Persian Gulf had not been significantly disrupted as of June 6, according to a number of news services. You can download a 250-meter-resolution Cyclone Gonu KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/Archive/Jun2007/gonu_amo_2007158.kmz ] for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html ] NASA image by Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at Goddard Space Flight Center. |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan:
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes blew off the coa
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pakistan_amo_2007302
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-10-29 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
pakistan_amo_2007302 |
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Dust over the Gulf of Oman a
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes blew from Afghan
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arsea_tmo_2007266
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-09-23 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
arsea_tmo_2007266 |
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Dust Plume over Afghanistan
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On July 21, 2007, a dust plu
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afpk_tmo_2007202
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-07-21 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
afpk_tmo_2007202 |
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Dust Storm in Pakistan: Natu
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A thin veil of white dust bl
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Pakistan.AMO2003327
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-11-23 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Pakistan.AMO2003327 |
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Tropical Cyclone Gonu: Natur
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A cyclonic storm like Tropic
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gonu_amo_2007158
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-06-07 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
gonu_amo_2007158 |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan:
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On August 12, 2007, a dust s
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afgh_tmo_2007224
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-08-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
afgh_tmo_2007224 |
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Dust over the Hamoun Wetland
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Straddling the borders of Ir
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ge_19981
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_19981 |
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Dust over the Hamoun Wetland
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Straddling the borders of Ir
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ge_19981
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-05-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_19981 |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan:
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes blew off the coa
…
pakistan_amo_2007004
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-01-04 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
pakistan_amo_2007004 |
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Dust Storms over the Middle
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Dust plumes lingered over th
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arabia_tmo_2008053
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-02-22 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
arabia_tmo_2008053 |
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Dust over Gulf of Oman, Arab
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A weather forecast for the U
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arabia_tmo_2008033
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-02-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
arabia_tmo_2008033 |
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Dust Storm over Southwestern
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Two days after forming over
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stan_amo_2008181
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-06-29 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
stan_amo_2008181 |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A number of jets of windblow
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Pakistan_TMO2003061
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-03-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Pakistan_TMO2003061 |
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Dust Storms over the Middle
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Although common during the s
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iran_tmo_2008052
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-02-21 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
iran_tmo_2008052 |
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Dust Storm over Southwestern
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On June 27, 2008, a dust sto
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stan_amo_2008179
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2008-06-27 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
stan_amo_2008179 |
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Dust Storm over Afghanistan
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Prolonged and severe drought
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Pakistan_TMO2004281
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-07 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
Pakistan_TMO2004281 |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
On February 10, 2007, a dust
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arab_tmo_2007041
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-02-10 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
arab_tmo_2007041 |
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Dust off Iran and Pakistan:
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The dust storm off Iran and
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pakistan_tmo_2007303
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-10-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
pakistan_tmo_2007303 |
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Tropical Cyclone Gonu: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A cyclonic storm like Tropic
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gonu_tmo_2007157
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2007-06-06 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
gonu_tmo_2007157 |
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Dust Storm over Gulf of Oman
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nasa, nasanaturalhazards
Two thick plumes of desert d
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OmanDust_OSE2003049
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-02-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
OmanDust_OSE2003049 |
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Dust over the Arabian Sea: N
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A number of jets of windblow
…
ArabianSea_TMO2003122
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-05-02 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ArabianSea_TMO2003122 |
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