Dust Plume Crossing Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Iraq
33.3N 44.4EA plume blows in a north-south streak across Iraq, near Syria. The dust crosses the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, as well as part of the fertile valley between them. Iraq suffers from desertification and soil salination due in large part to thousands of years of agricultural activity. This desertification can lead to more frequent dust storms. Visible in the lower right corner, unaffected by the dust, is the northernmost part of the Persian Gulf.