Monitoring Global Processes – Desertification/Deforestation/Drought Vegetation Health South-Eastern Mediterranean mosaic of NOAA-14 and NOAA-16 satellite images acquired with the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). This vegetation status compilation demonstrates the behavior of global processes, such as desertification and drought, in the Middle East. Note the seasonal change from winter to summer, and the increase in overall regional stress from 1998 to 2001.