MSGID: 1:317/3 64b03bcb   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   July 13, 2023 - Dust and Salt off Coast of Nambia   
      
       Dust and Salt off the Coast of Namibia   
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      Fierce winds drove sheets of dust from the Namib Desert over the South   
      Atlantic Ocean in mid-July 2023.   
      
      On July 11, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image, winds   
      were particularly strong. Not only were they carrying widespread and   
      thick tongues dust, but a broad plume of minerals (primarily salt) was   
      lofted from the Etosha Pan and carried to the Atlantic Coast.   
      
      On that same day, a post on the Namibia Weather Forecast Facebook page   
      described the scene in Walvis Bay, which is a coastal city located on   
      the Kuiseb River delta just north of the orange sands of the Namib   
      Desert. The post read, in part, “morning in Walvis Bay was frustrating   
      for many residents, as they had to continuously sweep away sand from   
      their homes and businesses. The sand encroachment seemed unstoppable,   
      and people resorted to innovative measures such as using empty plastic   
      bags to seal openings and protect their homes.” Local media in Arandis,   
      a town near the north-central coast, reported a fatality from a traffic   
      accident that was caused by extremely poor visibility. Wind speeds of   
      about 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph) were reported in several   
      locations.   
      
      The intense winds responsible for the shifting sand and salt are known   
      as “berg winds”—hot, dry northeasterly or east winds that sweep down   
      from inland mountains and plateaus, lofting dust and fine sediments   
      into the air and carrying them across the coastal plain. Locally, this   
      weather is said to be called the "Oosweer" (East Weather). In some   
      locations, it also carries the nickname “The Doctor,” because it is   
      thought that the heat and extreme dryness of these winds help dry out   
      homes, cupboards, closets, pavement, and public places, effectively   
      disinfecting them from germs that tend to thrive in wet, foggy winter   
      weather.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Aqua   
      Date Acquired: 7/11/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (2 MB),  500m (4.4 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=2023-07-13   
       
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