MSGID: 1:317/3 645bdbad   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   May 10, 2023 - Dust in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan   
      
      Dust in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan   
       Tweet   
       Share   
      
      On May 9, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of a   
      spring dust storm streaming across Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.   
      
      The dust storm begins in arid Afghanistan west of the snow-capped Hindu   
      Kush mountains, blows westward and then curls slightly northwestward   
      over the sand-filled Mary region of Turkmenistan, where additional dust   
      likely is swept into the storm. The path of the dust roughly parallels   
      the Amu Darya River, which shows green along its banks.   
      
      This region of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan is extremely arid and rich   
      in fine sand, especially in the dune fields south of the Amu Darya   
      River. In springtime, a short growing season spurs a burst of green,   
      thanks to the short season when rain appears and encourages growth of   
      desert sedges, grasses, shrubs, and groves of wild pistachio trees.   
      Much of the 200 to 240 millimeters (8 to 9 inches) of rain the area   
      receives each year falls between February and May; a prolonged period   
      of dry weather typically sets in by June.   
      
      Dust storms are a frequent natural hazard in both countries and can   
      occur at any time of the year. They are especially frequent in spring,   
      when cold air masses moving from the north often clash with intrusions   
      of warm tropical air from the south, creating unsettled weather   
      patterns which can produce strong, gusty winds. These winds easily lift   
      the loose, widespread sand into the air to create sudden dust storms.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 5/9/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (1.3 MB),  500m (3.6 MB),  250m (6.4 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=2023-05-10   
       
   --- up 1 year, 10 weeks, 2 days, 20 minutes   
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)   
   SEEN-BY: 15/0 106/201 114/705 123/120 153/7715 218/700 226/30 227/114   
   SEEN-BY: 229/110 112 113 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 292/854 298/25   
   SEEN-BY: 305/3 317/3 320/219 396/45   
   PATH: 317/3 229/426