MSGID: 1:317/3 63fb9e43   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   February 26, 2023 - Saharan Dust over the Atlantic   
      
      Dust   
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      Since mid-February 2023, massive pulses of dust have poured off the   
      west coast of Africa, coloring the skies with a tan haze.   
      
      The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board   
      NASA’s Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of dust stretching   
      more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) over the coastal countries (Mali,   
      Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone) to the open   
      waters of the Atlantic. The dust is so thick in the west that it   
      obscures the blue waters of the Atlantic from view.   
      
      According to the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), the   
      first large-scale Saharan dust transport of 2023 took place in   
      mid-February, with dust concentrations across the Iberian Peninsula   
      rising on February 20. The report, published on February 21, forecast   
      that Saharan dust would reach as far north as Denmark by February 23.   
      Daily MODIS imagery confirms dust not only pulsing northward to Europe   
      during that time, but also reaching across the North Atlantic Ocean,   
      closely approaching the shores of South America.   
      
      The Sahara Desert is by far Earth’s largest source of airborne dust,   
      and the storms can arise at any time of year. It is estimated that   
      winds pick up 100 million tons of dust from the Sahara each year, with   
      a sizable portion blowing out over the North Atlantic Ocean. During   
      winter and spring storms, the dust often ends up fertilizing the   
      nutrient-poor soils of South America’s Amazon rainforest.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 2/23/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (305.3 KB),  500m (1.1 MB),  250m (3.4 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-02-26   
       
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