Dust blowing out of West Africa

Satellite instruments such as CALIPSO can measure the distribution of aerosols in a vertical slice of the atmosphere, as with this dust plume off the west coast of Africa on April 22, 2010.

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NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, based on MODIS data proviided by the Goddard Level 1 and Atmospheric Archive and Distribution System (LAADS). and CALIPSO data provided by the Langley Research Center Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). Caption by Michael Carlowicz and Adam Voiland.

Published November 27, 2010
Data acquired April 22, 2010

Sources:

Aqua > MODIS

CALIPSO > CALIOP