Warmer Ocean Temperatures May Decrease Saharan Dust Crossing the Atlantic

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" from Universal Production Music

Video credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio
Katy Mersmann (USRA): Lead Producer
Lara Streiff (Telophase): Lead Writer
Helen-Nicole Kostis (USRA): Visualizer
Kel Elkins (USRA): Visualizer