The first map shows the expected concentration of desert dust in micrograms per cubic meter. Depending on the corresponding colour legend, the concentration is higher or lower. On our website, you can choose between different altitudes to see the vertical distribution of the dust.
Due to their physical properties, dust particles can also be detected on other weather maps since it impacts different ecosystems. For instance, a high desert dust concentration often results in a worse Air Quality Index (CAQI) while increasing the Aerosol Optical Depth and the Particular Matter (PM10) values, as seen in the second screenshot.
Desert dust transportation is a complex process with various advantages and disadvantages for the affected areas. Desert dust belongs to the so-called primary aerosols, which are emitted by natural sources, and depending on the aerosol’s weight, they can be freighted over very long distances. As for all aerosols, the most important driver for transport is wind. For this reason, global weather patterns play a significant role.
During the next few days, dust from the Sahara Desert will continue to move across the Atlantic toward the Caribbean, as shown on the Desert Dust Weather Map. Although the concentration decreases during the journey across the Atlantic, many particles manage to sediment on the Caribbean islands or even reach the South- or Central-American mainland. Especially for Saturday (2023-06-16), the dust concentration in the Caribbean is predicted to be particularly high. The northeasterly trade winds are mainly responsible for this particular dust transportation. These winds blow from the northeast to the southwest in the northern hemisphere due to global atmospheric circulation and the Coriolis force. According to various sources, June and August are the months with the highest concentration of Saharan dust in the Caribbean region.
The third image above shows our wind animation map visualizing the global wind patterns. The trade wind circulation is shown as arrows on both hemispheres. They come together near the equator, so the area is called “ITC” (Inner Tropical Convergence). The orange arrows represent the dust flux from Africa to South- and Central America.
If you want to learn more about trade winds, we recommend visiting our meteoScool, which offers many meteorological topics to understand better the weather and its influences on the Earth and human activities.
As mentioned, desert dust affects our environment and ecosystems in different ways. Once in the air, it will reduce the radiative forcing on a small-scale perspective and thus mitigate the greenhouse effect. Sedimented on the surface, dust is an ideally suited fertilizer. It contains many minerals and provides nutrients for marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Nevertheless, there are many disadvantages. Dust reaching snow or glaciers will generally lead to faster snow-melting due to a lower albedo. Furthermore, desert dust drives forward desertification, generates respiratory problems and causes other health issues. Additionally, dust deposits may negatively affect photosynthesis efficiency.
Check out our weather maps to always be updated.
