Strong winds in the Sahara Desert have swept up millions of tons of dust into the atmosphere.
The dust can be seen by satellite imagery as a hazy brown cloud moving west over the Atlantic Ocean/
It’s traveled all the way from North Africa to North and South America.
But this phenomenon happens every year, typically during the spring or summer.
In fact, the Saharan dust plays a significant ecological role, regularly fertilizing soils in the Amazon.
The dust particles scatter the Sun’s rays, making for vibrant sunrises and sunsets, and it can temporarily affect air quality in regions where it lands.
EXPLORE EARTH
NASA