Saharan dust on the move across Atlantic Ocean

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

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

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

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 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 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

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

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

Dust over Wad Ad-Dahabnota Peninsula and near Canary Islands

Dust over Wad Ad-Dahabnota Peninsula and near Canary Islands

Dust blows off the coast of Western Sahara and towards the northwest, over the Atlantic Ocean. Visible through the dust is the Wad Ad-Dahabnota Peninsula, also known as the Villa Cisneros Peninsula while the region was under Spanish colonial rule. The Canary Islands

Parallel rows of dust over Arabian dust

Parallel rows of dust over Arabian dust

Dust blows over Afghanistan and off the coasts of Iran and Pakistan. Air currents cause it to form long, parallel rows rather than an indistinct cloud. The dust reaches far over the Arabian Sea, where it is then swept westwards towards the Arabian Peninsula. Dust