Dust storm off West Africa

Dust poured off the coast of Africa and over the Atlantic Ocean on in mid-July, 2012. A broad plume of dust blows to the southeast, crossing both Western Sahara (north) and Mauritania (center). As it passes over the Atlantic Ocean, the plume appears to broaden and thin as it covers the Cape Verde Islands. The air over Senegal, to the south, remains relatively clear. (MODIS)