Brainstorm: Dusty greetings from the Sahara

Tiny, well-travelled and highly effective: Saharan dust travels up to 4,000 km, makes the sunshine appear cloudy and sometimes colours our sunsets a beautiful red. We explain its origin, transport, measurement methods and why desert dust is of concern to weather models, glaciers and lungs.

Satellite image

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GeoColour image from the MTG satellite. The desert dust in the air above France is clearly visible. © EUMETSAT via Eumetview.

Satellite image

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Dust RGB image from the MTG satellite. Here, the desert dust can be seen in vivid shades of pink. © EUMETSAT via Eumetview.