Dust Tempete in Afghanistan - Afghanistan Dust Front - Dust Tempete in northern Afghanistan. Image...

Dust Tempete in Afghanistan - Afghanistan Dust Front - Dust Tempete in northern Afghanistan. Image obtained from Space Shuttle Atlantis in September 2000. Winds in the upper Amu Darya valley, along the northern border of Afghanistan lofted thick, light brown dust into the air (top half of the view). In this desert environment land surfaces are not protected by vegetation from the effect of blowing wind. The central Asian deserts experience the greatest number of dust storm days on the planet each year. The sharp dust front shows that the dust has not traveled far, but has been raised from the surfaces in the view. Image taken from the space shuttle Atlantis in september 2000