Stunning satellite imagery captures a dust storm sweeping across the terrain.

      NOAA

      CIRA (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere) has shared remarkable footage of a dust storm moving across a region of Mexico.

      The striking video, which plays at an accelerated speed, depicts an immense dust cloud rolling over the landscape akin to a large wave. After viewing it, Dakota Smith, a scientist based in Colorado, referred to the recent weather phenomenon as “an all-timer.”

      The CIMSS Satellite Blog, managed by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, reported on the event last week. It explained that strong winds following a cold front had lifted dust across southern New Mexico, southwestern Texas, and northern Mexico.

      The report noted, “The maximum wind gust recorded at El Paso, Texas was 50 knots (58 mph), and dust conditions reduced visibility to a quarter-mile at Carlsbad, New Mexico.” It also mentioned that “the leading edge of the blowing dust traveled at speeds of up to 35 knots through northern Mexico.”

      This footage was captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-18 (GOES-18), which was launched into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 2022. NOAA unveiled the satellite’s first high-resolution images shortly after its launch.

      GOES-18 is part of a satellite network that allows meteorologists to monitor and predict local weather conditions that affect public safety, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, fog, flash floods, and, of course, dust storms. It also detects and tracks environmental threats such as wildfires and volcanic eruptions.

      The GOES-19 satellite, constructed by Lockheed Martin, covers a vast region that encompasses the U.S. West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and the Pacific Ocean.

      Equipped with advanced technology, the GOES-18 satellite relays information regarding severe weather events to NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Maryland every 30 seconds for swift analysis.

      Media platforms, including The Weather Channel and AccuWeather, also utilize imagery from GOES satellites in their forecasts.

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