Earth ObservatoryScienceEarth ObservatoryDust Storm Sweeps Over MaliEarthEarth ObservatoryImage of the DayEO ExplorerTopicsAll TopicsAtmosphereLandHeat & RadiationLife on EarthHuman DimensionsNatural EventsOceansRemote Sensing TechnologySnow & IceWaterMore ContentCollectionsGlobal MapsWorld of ChangeArticlesEarth Matters BlogBlue Marble: Next GenerationEO KidsMission: BiomesAboutAbout UsSubscribe🛜 RSSContact UsSearch A dust storm obscures the ground in Mali in this image, acquired with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite on September 5, 2026.NASA Earth Observatory/Lauren DauphinAs summer winds down in West Africa, so does much of the region’s dust activity. Dust storms can still occur, though, as one did in early September 2026, when a plume covered parts of Mali and neighboring countries.The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image on September 5, 2026. According to Tianle Yuan, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, storms like this one are often associated with haboobs—powerful dust storms driven by strong convective winds.In the days after this image was acquired, a wider satellite view showed aerosols from the region moving westward and spilling over the Atlantic Ocean. However, a full transatlantic crossing is unlikely. Such crossings are more common from late spring through summer, when the Saharan Air Layer—a dry, dusty mass of air—can carry dust thousands of miles westward from Africa, riding high in the atmosphere.Looking ahead, the developing El Niño could reshape these patterns. For instance, Yuan noted that the phenomenon can affect dust over the Sahel and Mali by shifting the Intertropical Convergence Zone and altering convection patterns, though the influence cuts both ways. Drier conditions can leave more loose sediment available for winds to lift, but less convective activity also means fewer intense storms (haboobs) to kick up large dust plumes in the first place. “The connection can be real,” Yuan said, “but hard to pin down for individual events.”NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Kathryn Hansen.DownloadsSeptember 5, 2026JPEG (1.99 MB)References & ResourcesNASA Earthdata (2021, April 19) Saharan Dust Versus Atlantic Hurricanes. Accessed September 9, 2026.NASA Earth Observatory (2021, June 8) Africa Sheds Some Dust. Accessed September 9, 2026.NASA Earth Observatory (2020, January 9) A Dusty Journey. Accessed September 9, 2026.NASA Earth Observatory (2001, May 18) From the Dust Bowl to the Sahel. Accessed September 9, 2026.You may also be interested in:Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet. A Moonlit Earth as Seen From Artemis II 4 min read An astronaut’s photo, taken en route to the Moon, reveals our planet and its place in space in a novel…Article June 2026 Satellite Puzzler 2 min read Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.Article A Trio of Tropical Cyclones in the Pacific 4 min read The Pacific was buzzing with storms while the Atlantic was notably quiet.Article1234NextKeep ExploringDiscover More from NASA Earth ScienceSubscribe to Earth Observatory NewslettersSubscribe to the Earth Observatory and get the Earth in your inbox.Earth Observatory Image of the DayNASA’s Earth Observatory brings you the Earth, every day, with in-depth stories and stunning imagery.Explore Earth ScienceEarth Science DataOpen access to NASA’s archive of Earth science data