1
00:00:01,010 --> 00:00:05,010
Strong winds in the Sahara Desert have swept up millions of tons of dust into the atmosphere.

2
00:00:05,010 --> 00:00:09,010


3
00:00:09,010 --> 00:00:13,010
The dust can be seen by satellite imagery as a hazy brown cloud moving west over the Atlantic Ocean/

4
00:00:13,010 --> 00:00:17,010
It’s traveled all the way from North Africa to North and South America.

5
00:00:17,010 --> 00:00:21,010


6
00:00:21,010 --> 00:00:25,010
But this phenomenon happens every year, typically during the spring or summer.

7
00:00:25,010 --> 00:00:29,010
In fact, the Saharan dust plays a significant ecological role, regularly fertilizing soils in the Amazon.

8
00:00:29,010 --> 00:00:33,010


9
00:00:33,010 --> 00:00:37,010
The dust particles scatter the Sun’s rays, making for vibrant sunrises and sunsets, and it can temporarily affect air quality in regions where it lands.

10
00:00:37,010 --> 00:00:41,010


11
00:00:41,010 --> 00:00:45,010


12
00:00:45,010 --> 00:00:49,010
EXPLORE EARTH

13
00:00:49,010 --> 00:00:53,760
NASA