Plumes of dust blew over the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia in mid-December, 2019. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the sandy scene on December 19. The plumes arise near the coast of Saudi Arabia and blow over most of the approximately 200-mile wide Red Sea. In some areas the dust is thick enough to completely hide the water below from view.

On both its eastern and western sides, the Red Sea is bordered by some of the world’s most prolific dust-producing regions. Shifting winds mean that dust can blow in either direction, from the Arabian Peninsula or Africa.

Image Facts

Satellite: Terra

Date Acquired: 12/19/2019

Resolutions: , ,

Bands Used: 1,4,3

Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC