File:Dust over Persian Gulf (MODIS 2020-07-05).jpg

English: A cloud of dust hung over the Red Sea in early July 2020. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the sandy scene on July 1.

Dust storms are common over the Red Sea, which is nestled between the desert regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In the summer months, the major mover is the seasonal monsoon, with winds sweeping over the deserts and carrying sands eastward towards India and Asia.

The image shows the African countries of Egypt (north), Sudan, and Eritrea (south) along the western coast of the Red Sea. Toward the right side of the image are Saudi Arabia (top) and Yemen (bottom) on the Arabian Peninsula. Overlooking the Red Sea, a long escarpment runs along the western edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and in this image appears to be blocking the full eastward expansion of the dust storm. While no single point source is evident, dust has been primarily blowing from Africa eastward over the past several week, suggesting that this is Saharan dust hanging over the Red Sea.