Unusual dust plume over Libya
5 July 2014
On 5 July a jet-like dust plume travelled southward across Libya.
Last Updated
06 September 2022
Published on
05 July 2014
The dust plume developed in Libya, to the east of Benghazi. View position on Google Earth. It took off in a limited area after midnight of 5 July and during the day travelled southward.
Forecast models confirmed northerly winds around 40km/h at low levels over the area, as suggested by the plume's evolution.
There had been wide-spread dust outbreaks on 4 July, but this jet-like plume was particularly spectacular. Note that it developed a hammer-head structure as it penetrated the Sahara, a phenomenon representative of the hydrodynamics.
Note, also, the fainter blue features moving southwards, which are caused by low-level moisture differences.
