(WMC) –Big dust storms develop in Africa due to strong thunderstorms. Winds in the Atlantic are able to carry these large dust storms across the Atlantic and toward the US. The trade winds can carry these large dust storms for many miles. These large dust clouds are referred to as “SAL” (Saharan Air Layer).
Where is the Saharan dust coming from?
Sahara desert
What is Saharan Dust? It’s a dust cloud that forms every year due to storms in the African Sahel region, which borders the Sahara desert. The trade winds then send plumes of that dust across the Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Is the Saharan dust from Africa?
Those summer seasonal wind patterns can carry the dust from Africa to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Plumes of dust recently reached Florida, Texas, and other southern U.S. states in mid-May 2022.
Where does the dust from the Sahara desert end up?
Saharan Dust Plumes
Although a significant portion of the particles settle in the tropical Atlantic to the east of Central America, the prevailing north-easterly trade winds typically blow the dust toward the northern half of South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Does Saharan dust happen every year?
The movement of dry air filled with Saharan dust happens yearly, often reaching the United States just before the Atlantic hurricane season.
How long does the Sahara dust last?
Saharan Air Layer outbreaks usually occupy a 2 to 2.5-mile-thick layer of the atmosphere with the base starting about 1 mile above the surface. Saharan Air Layer activity usually ramps up in mid-June, peaks from late June to mid-August, and begins to rapidly subside after mid-August.
How long does Saharan dust stay?
3-5 days
“It’s a layer of dust that is picked up off the Sahara Desert and transported across the ocean.” The dust cloud typically arrives in Texas between mid-June and August and lasts for 3-5 days.
What is Saharan dust good for?
The reason it can keep hurricane development down is because hurricanes need warm, muggy air to develop while the dust from the Sahara will make an airmass more dry. Research has shown, that iron-rich particles inside these dust clouds reflect sunlight and can cool the atmosphere.
Is Sahara dust radioactive?
Dust from the Sahara Desert that recently pushed into Europe brought an unexpected surprise with it — residues of radioactive pollution that is linked to the atomic bomb tests carried out by France in the 1960s.
How did dust from Africa get to Europe?
The strong winds from Storm Celia off the northwest coast of Africa picked up dust from the Sahara desert and lofted it into the atmosphere. The southerly winds then pushed the dust northward into Europe, creating haunting scenes across the region.
Is Sahara dust caused by climate change?
In the past, the major global sources of dust were the Sahara Desert, the Arabian Peninsula and some parts of South Asia. Now, a changing climate is expanding the arid lands that are a source of dust storms.
Why is the Sahara dust moving?
Stronger winds in the mid-levels of the atmosphere transport the dust from Africa westward across the Atlantic Ocean.
How often does Sahara dust come to the US?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Saharan Air Layer, or large area of very dry, dusty air, forms over the Sahara Desert during the late spring, summer and even early fall, moving into the tropical Atlantic Ocean. This can happen as often as every three to five days.
How can you protect yourself from Saharan dust?
Tips to cope with Saharan dust
- Stay indoors as much as possible while the dust is in the air or wear a mask while outside.
- Run a HEPA filter indoors to purify air, especially in the bedroom.
What is under the Sahara desert sand?
Beneath the sands of the Sahara Desert scientists have discovered evidence of a prehistoric megalake. Formed some 250,000 years ago when the Nile River pushed through a low channel near Wadi Tushka, it flooded the eastern Sahara, creating a lake that at its highest level covered more than 42,000 square miles.
Is Saharan dust getting worse?
Research cited by the agency points to less frequent but more intense Saharan dust episodes, while a paper published in Nature in April found the amount of dust transport episodes in the western Mediterranean increased in frequency and intensity between 1948 and 2020.
How do you clean Sahara dust?
Sand and other large particles are abrasive, so wiping with your finger or a cloth may cause fine scratches that will then require polishing later.
- Fight sand with snow foam.
- Use plenty of water.
- Wash with a good quality shampoo.
- Inspect for any paintwork damage.
Is Saharan dust good for soil?
The mineral fragments that make up the Sahara dust plume are often rich in iron and phosphorus; both plants on land and phytoplankton in the sea need those nutrients to grow.
Does the Sahara dust affect your throat?
“The Saharan dust seems to, creep up on us,” explains Dr. Michael Kaplan of Kaplan Sinus Relief in Houston. “Every summer it creates symptoms similar to spring and fall allergies, resulting in a great deal of nasal congestion, sometimes sore throat and respiratory symptoms.”
Is Saharan dust good for the garden?
Because the dust blowing across our land is filled with iron and phosphorous and a host of micro-nutrients. In other words, plants love it! Including the Amazon rainforest. The Saharan dust delivers the phosphorous needed to replenish the minerals leached by heavy rainfall.
Is Sahara Desert bigger than us?
The Sahara Desert covers an area of northern Africa larger than the lower 48 United States. And it’s growing even bigger. Over the past century, rainfall levels have decreased along the southern edge of the Sahara.