A new Technique for Detecting Dust Storms in Cloudy Weather Over Iraq, A case Study

Abstract There is still ambiguity in distinguishing dust storms from clouds in cloudy weather satellite images. This research addresses this challenge by developing and applying a new technique for detecting dust storms in cloudy weather over Iraq using the unique capabilities of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite imagery. Specifically, this study will focus on the thermal infrared bands of MODIS, particularly bands 29 (8.55 μm), 31 (11.03 μm), and 32 (12.02 μm) to detect dust events and isolate them from clouds. These bands are crucial because dust particles interact with thermal radiation differently than cloud particles and the Earth’s surface. By analyzing the brightness temperature difference (BTD) between these specific thermal infrared bands, it is possible to identify the distinct spectral signature of dust even when clouds obscure visible channels. Four specific dust events have been selected over Iraq on May 4th and 5th, 2025, to test this approach. For each day, we utilized daytime imagery from the Terra satellite and nighttime imagery from the Aqua satellite. We then processed the raw MODIS data from bands 29, 31, and 32 to generate RGB dust storm composite images. These RGB dust storm composites perfectly matched the forecasts and observations provided by well-established dust storm forecasting websites, strongly validating the effectiveness of our technique, and gave good results in isolating dust storms even in clouds presence, which was the primary goal of this research.