Oil wells burning in Southern Iraq (afternoon overpass)

Repeated dust storms in Iraq (top of most images) and Saudi Arabia (bottom) spread desert sands across the Middle East. The dust obscures the wetlands along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (green area within Iraq). Red dots indicate fire detections, possibly flares or fires at oil and gas wells. These images were captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra and Aqua satellites in February, March, and April 2003.

---

Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published March 21, 2003
Data acquired March 21 - 21, 2003

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topics:

Atmosphere > Aerosols > Dust/Ash

Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Deserts

Biosphere > Terrestrial Habitat > Desert

Human Dimensions > Natural Hazards > Fires

Collection:

MODIS Rapid Response