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Strong winds in the Sahara Desert have swept up millions of tons of dust into the atmosphere.

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The dust can be seen by satellite imagery as a hazy brown cloud moving west over the Atlantic Ocean/

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It’s traveled all the way from North Africa to North and South America.

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But this phenomenon happens every year, typically during the spring or summer.

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In fact, the Saharan dust plays a significant ecological role, regularly fertilizing soils in the Amazon.

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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.

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EXPLORE EARTH

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NASA