It’s the time for the annual dust migration westward across the Atlantic. It typically starts around spring and comes from the world’s largest dust source, Africa.
The current batch of dusty air is centered over the Atlantic with a motion toward southern Florida by the weekend. Some of it is forecasted to be drawn up over north Florida.
Recommended Videos
Although African dust is transported across the tropical North Atlantic in great quantities almost all year long, spring and early summer are the best times for reaching Florida. A stable layer of dry sinking air called the Saharan Air Layer builds in during the season fostering a suspended pathway for thousands of miles westward.
Winds blowing from the east transport the suspended particles about 2-2.5 miles up before falling out in some cases as far as the Gulf of Mexico.
Nutrients associated with African dust deposition have also been linked to toxic algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico. Studies show it also plays a role in fertilizing lawns from the minerals’ high Phosphorus concentrations.
Because dust transport is highly sensitive to climate variability, climate change in the coming decades could greatly affect a wide range of biogeochemical processes and human health.