Dust storm in Afghanistan

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).

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Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Published September 24, 2003
Data acquired September 23 - 23, 2003

Source:

Terra > MODIS

Topics:

Biosphere > Terrestrial Ecosystems > Deserts

Biosphere > Terrestrial Habitat > Desert