Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired March 28 - 28, 2003 1500 x 1200 298 KB - JPEG
Data acquired March 28 - 28, 2003 3000 x 2400 1006 KB Bytes - JPEG
Data acquired March 28 - 28, 2003 6000 x 4800 3 MB - JPEG
The mountainous terrain of western Iran appears to be diverting the previous days’ dust storms southward across the Persian Gulf. In this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image from March 28, 2003, dust is pooled in the valleys closest to the coast and the front stretches across hundreds of miles. Into the waters of the Persian Gulf (center), bright blue swirls of sediment pour in from rivers. In places the swirls appear tinged with green, which suggests some marine plant life could be present. Several thermal anomalies were detected by MODIS and are marked with red dots. In southern Iraq, these appear to be associated with oil fires, which are producing dark, thick smoke plumes. Another source of smoke and aerosols is the city of Baghdad, where massive plumes of blackish-brown smoke are streaming southward.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published March 28, 2003 Data acquired March 28 - 28, 2003