Large plume of Saharan dust reaches the Caribbean and South America

The second large plume of Saharan dust reached the Caribbean and South America on June 7, 2022, after a journey of more than 5 500 km (3 400 miles), as forecasted by Copernicus CAMS and confirmed by Sentinel-5p Aerosol index.

This mass of very dry, dusty air is called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). It typically ramps in mid-June and subsides after mid-August.

The Saharan Air Layer has unique properties of warmth, dry air, and strong winds that can have significant moderating impacts on tropical cyclone formation and intensification.

Teo Blašković

I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

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