african dust event june 18 – july 3 2008 daily satellite images prepared by bryan lambeth, p.e....
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African Dust EventJune 18 – July 3 2008
Daily Satellite Images
Prepared by Bryan Lambeth, P.E.
Texas Commission on Environmental QualityMonitoring Operations Division
September 2009
African Dust
The following satellite images track dust originating from the Saharan Desert in northern Africa as it travels across the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico from June 18 through July 3, 2008. Normally the ocean surface appears very dark when skies are clear and the air is clean. Clouds are usually a bright white. Haze from dust can be detected in cloud-free areas over water by a brightening of the normally dark surface. The brightness corresponds to the intensity of the haze, with greater brightness indicating a higher concentration of dust. Haze boundaries are usually not sharp with a gradual decrease in intensity near the edge of the dust cloud, unlike clouds, which usually have sharp boundaries. Higher clouds also cast tell-tale shadows in late daytime images.
June 18, 2008 1745 UTC
Dust cloud emerging from African Coast
Dust cloud emerging from African Coast
June 19, 2008 1745 UTC
Clean air
Dust cloud moving over Cape Verde Islands
June 20, 2008 1745 UTC
Clean air
June 21, 2008 1745 UTC
Dust cloud moving across Atlantic Ocean
Clean air
June 22, 2008 1745 UTC
Dust cloud moving across Atlantic Ocean
Clean air
June 23, 2008 1745 UTC
Dust cloud approaching Lesser Antilles
Clean air
June 23, 2008 2045 UTC
Dust cloud moving into Lesser Antilles
Clean air
June 24, 2008 2045 UTC
Dust cloud moving into Greater Antilles
Clean air
June 25, 2008 2045 UTC
Dust cloud moving across Greater Antilles
Clean air
June 26, 2008 2045 UTC
Dust cloud moving across Bahamas, Cuba, Northwest Caribbean Sea
Clean air
June 26, 2008 2215 UTC
Dust cloud entering Southeast Gulf of Mexico
Clean air
Dust cloud moving across Southeast Gulf of Mexico
June 27, 2008 2215 UTC
June 28, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust covers most of Gulf of Mexico
More Saharan dust
June 29, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust
June 30, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust
July 1, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust
July 2, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust
July 3, 2008 2215 UTC
Saharan dust