Abstract:Based on the analyses of the spectral characteristic of dust storm, cl oud, snow and desert using the several MODIS data during the period from 2002 to 2004, two dust indices were constructed, which can determine quantitatively the scope and intensity of dust storm. The test results in several storms from 2 002 to 2007 indicated that the above built dust indices could effectively deter mine the scope and intensity of dust storms, and are proved to be simple and ope rable. In order to solve the actual issue that the present service product of re mote sensing monitoring of dust storm is mainly simple and qualitative images, a new evaluating system was developed to monitor the dust storm based on MODIS dat a, which can offer not only MODIS image of dust storm, but the remote sensing mo nitoring image of the scope and intensity of dust storm, the plot of land classi fications affected by dust storm, the statistics of dust area in different provi nce, the statistics of area affected by dust storm for different land classifica tion in China, and the statistics of area affected by dust storm for different c ounty and different land classification in Gansu province. The new system is abl e to provide various products for the monitoring of dust storm in quantitative a nd fine service way.