Dust in the Sahara Desert

Orange-tan veils of dust sweep across the Sahara Desert in northwestern Africa in this true-color Aqua MODIS image acquired July 18, 2005. The dust curls through northern Mali and southern Algeria in this image, obscuring the dramatic geography of the land below. Little to no vegetation grows in this region, and what little does is mostly shrubbery that supports only nomadic herding. Farther south, where precipitation is more regular, peanuts are a popular crop in the grass savannas, but here the precipitation and population are so low that a stationary, agricultural lifestyle isn't possible. More information about the Sahara can be found here.

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Jeff Schmaltz

Published January 5, 2005
Data acquired July 18, 2005

Source:

Aqua > MODIS

Collection:

MODIS Image of the Day