Dust Blows Over Egypt, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea

libya-egypt-dust-nasa-101019-02 — Dust clouds over Libya and Egypt. (Image credit: Jeff Schmaltz)

A few days after dust plumes blew off the coast of Libya, another dust storm spreads over Egypt, Libya and the Mediterranean Sea.

NASA's Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image of the dust storm on Oct. 1, 2010. The dust is thickest over central Libya, and thinner, but still discernible dust, appears over Egypt. Over the Mediterranean Sea, dust and clouds form an arc that extends eastward toward Cyprus.

The points of origin of the dust storms are not obvious; the dust most likely arose from the massive sand seas that sprawl over Libya and Egypt.

The Nile River is present in this image as well, as a green band twisting through the desert. The Nile is the longest river in the world, extending for about 4,163 miles (6,700 kilometers) from its headwaters in the highlands of eastern Africa to its mouth at the Mediterranean.

The green bordering the river is its fertile floodplain, which is fed by flood waters from the river. There is a sharp contrast between the floodplain and the arid landscape farther away from the river, which is largely due to elevation changes. The floodplain rests inside the floor of a large meandering valley, surrounded by valley walls that lead up to the desert highlands.

The World's Longest Rivers
The Harshest Environments on Earth
The World's Weirdest Weather

TOPICS

For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.