Warmer Ocean Temperatures May Decrease Saharan Dust Crossing the Atlantic

  • Released Monday, April 19, 2021
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Every year millions of tons of dust from the Sahara Desert are swirled up into the atmosphere by easterly trade winds, and carried across the Atlantic. The plumes can make their way from the African continent as far as the Amazon rainforest, where they fertilize plant life.

As the climate changes, dust activity will continue to be affected. In a new study, NASA researchers predict that within the next century we will see dust transport approach a 20,000-year minimum.

Music: Dawn Drone by Juan Jose Alba Gomez [SGAE]

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Monday, April 19, 2021.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:44 PM EDT.

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