Blowing dust in the Arabian Sea

By Scott Bachmeier • 3 November 2018

Sequence of daily True Color RGB images from Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS and Suomi NPP VIIRS, covering the period 01-03 November [click to play animation]

Strong winds across southern Iran and Pakistan were lofting plumes of blowing sand/dust offshore over the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea during 01 November, 02 November and 03 November 2018 — a sequence of daily composites of True Color Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images from Terra MODIS, Aqua MODIS and Suomi NPP VIIRS from RealEarth (above) showed the increase in dust transport during that 3-day period.

A comparison of True Color RGB images from Terra MODIS, NOAA-20 VIIRS, Suomi NPP VIIRS and Aqua MODIS on 03 November is shown below.

Comparison of True Color RGB images from Terra MODIS, NOAA-20 VIIRS, Suomi NPP VIIRS and Aqua MODIS on 03 November [click to play animation]

Metop-A and Metop-B ASCAT data (source) showed surface wind speeds in the 20-25 knot range emerging from the coast where plumes of blowing dust were located (below).

Meop ASCAT surface scatteromete winds [click to enlarge]

EUMETSAT Meteosat-11 High Resolution Visible (0.8 µm) images from 02 November and 03 November (below) showed the daily evolution of the dust plumes.

Meteosat-11 Visible (0.8 µm) images [click to play animation | MP4]

Meteosat-11 Visible (0.8 µm) images on 02 November [click to play animation | MP4]

Meteosat-11 Visible (0.8 µm) images on 03 November [click to play animation | MP4]

Categories: Aqua, Meteosat, Metop, MODIS, NOAA-20, RealEarth, Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images, Satellite winds, Suomi NPP, Terra, VIIRS

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Blowing dust in the Arabian Sea