Dust Storm in China and Mongolia

In early March 2013, a dust storm arose along the border between China and southwestern Mongolia. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on March 8.
Arising from multiple source points (resembling pinpoints in this image), the dust plumes blew toward the southeast, roughly following the border between the two countries. This region is one of the world’s most prolific dust producers, and dust storms are among Mongolia’s leading natural hazards.

1. References

2. CIA World Factbook (2013, February 5) Mongolia. Accessed March 8, 2013.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE MODIS Rapid Response. Caption by Michon Scott.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA