Developing a new automated tool for detecting and monitoring dust and sand storms using MODIS and meteosat SEVIRI-MSG data

In the last three decades, significant advances have been made in mapping and monitoring environmental changes from Earth Observation satellites across a range of spatial and temporal scales. For example, with the actual Earth observation satellites, we can observe large areas rather than sparse points and provide unique information about properties of the surface or shallow layers of the earth. Indeed, the extent of many environmental and meteorological events such as vegetation stress, fogs, sandstorms and droughts cannot be captured by ground measurements alone making remote sensing an indispensable tool in environmental monitoring. The harsh nature of sub-African region makes ground-based monitoring and mapping of their local environment difficult and expensive. However, in contrast with their appearing harsh nature, arid desert areas tend to be fragile ecosystems where little climate perturbations may cause tremendous changes in their landscapes. Additionally, due to their low precipitation rates, arid regions are the world's major source of atmospheric dust that has an impact on local, regional and global climate. This paper will present an overview of current tools used for dust and sandstorm monitoring over bright-reflecting surfaces. An overview of current and potential applications of remote sensing in sub-African countries as well as the challenges that may be faced will also be presented.