Feature Identification » Identifying Surface Features » Deserts

To identify deserts in visible imagery, look for lightly coloured surface areas.

Desert surfaces are sensitive to the diurnal heating cycle, so you can identify them in infrared imagery by animating the imagery and looking for areas with rapid temperature changes after sunrise and sunset.

Visible

Infrared

Here’s how desert appears in the RGBs.

  • Natural Colour: Typically light brown to tan
  • Dust: Light blue during the day and shades of pale yellow at night
  • Night Microphysics: Magenta to lighter pink at night

Natural Colour RGB

EUMETSAT natural colour RGB over Africa, 1200 UTC 31 Jan 2016

Dust RGB (Day)

EUMETSAT dust RGB over Africa, 1200 UTC 31 Jan 2016

Dust RGB (Night)

EUMETSAT dust RGB over Africa, 1800 UTC 30 Jan 2016

Night Microphysics

EUMETSAT night microphysics RGB over Africa, 1800 UTC 30 Jan 2016