Massive Saharan dust storm sweeps across Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania, Africa
A 1 600 km (1 000 miles) long sandstorm swept across parts of Morocco, Algeria, and Mauritania on March 30, 2026, before it moved into the Atlantic Ocean.
Four dead and 29 injured in brownout-related pileup on I-25 near Pueblo, Colorado
At least four people were killed, and 29 were injured in a multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 25, just south of Pueblo, Colorado, on February 17, 2026. Authorities said strong winds caused brownout conditions, reducing visibility to near zero along the route.
Saharan dust on the move across Atlantic Ocean
Disturbances such as large thunderstorm complexes or simply strong trade winds over North Africa periodically result in vast dust and sand storms, some of which extend as high as 6 000 meters. These can be driven out to sea within the Saharan Air Layer
Dangerous air pollution hit Iceland's capital
Reykjavík and other parts of Iceland recorded 40 times the upper safe limit of pollution levels on February 19/20, 2014. The pollution levels haven't been so high since the last volcanic eruptions in 2010-2011. However, this time it is not ash that
Changing climate: How dust changed the face of the Earth
In spring 2010, the research icebreaker Polarstern returned from the South Pacific with a scientific treasure – ocean sediments from a previously almost unexplored part of the South Polar Sea. What looks like an inconspicuous sample of mud to a layman is, to geological
Study reveals how dust inside faults may contribute to earthquakes
A new study looks at how powdery material inside faults may contribute to earthquakes. According to geologist Ze'ev Reches of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, US, the gradual buildup of stress in a fault as plates collide or slide past each other is
Dust by Senegal River and Cap-Vert Peninsula, West Africa
Dust from the Sahara Desert blows westward off the coast of West Africa. The dust is thickest around the border between Mauritania and Senegal, with plumes visible just north of the Senegal River and the Cap-Vert peninsula, extending west from the main sandy areas of
Dust over Saudi Arabia and Red Sea
Dust can be seen in the air over Saudi Arabia and blowing westward over the Red Sea. Unsettled weather is typical in Saudi Arabia in winter, with strong winds a frequent occurrence. The Rub’ al Khali desert, the world’s largest sand sea, covers large parts of the
Dust storm over Iran
A dust storm can be seen spreading over eastern Iran and western Pakistan and over Arabian Sea. The dust blows southward, over the coast of the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz.
Dust plumes captured by MODIS/Terra satellite on January 17, 2013
Increased levels of dust in the air for the first day of 2013
Research has shown that dust storms are increasing in the Sahara Desert and that in parts of North Africa, annual dust production has increased tenfold in the last 50 years. Since dust storms transport large amounts of material for long distances, their increasing
