3 amazing ways Saharan dust impacts Planet Earth
Every year from spring to fall, massive plumes of dust rises from Africa’s Sahara Desert and blow westward over the North Atlantic Ocean. Once airborne, they can travel thousands of miles and reach places as far as the US Gulf Coast and South America’s Amazon River Basin. That impacts the planet in a number of ways, including altering the weather in some areas and delivering much-needed nutrients to others. Over time, it can even help build islands.