Hi #YugenCommunity and welcome to another week on the forum!
Now I know you’re probably watching the title for today’s discussion and wondering, did Daniella type that right? How can she say that Sahara dust is beneficial when all it does is raise my sinuses or make me sneeze uncontrollably? Well to answer those two questions, yes I typed it right and yes, it does have some significant benefits to the environment! Let’s dive into it 😊
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with what exactly Sahara Dust is, it is large plumes of dust that are transported yearly across the globe form the Saharan desert to the Caribbean, South America and beyond. The largest concentration of dust from the African continent occurs from February to October when the dust plumes cross the Atlantic.
Although this dust is notorious for causing itchy eyes, runny noses and sore throats when it is present in the region, it serves several vital functions that are necessary for the environment and sustaining our lives.
Firstly, it is rich in phosphorus which is a vital nutrient for plant growth especially in the Amazon Basin. In the Basin, soils lose about 90% of its phosphorus due to rainfall. Thus this dust provides a key external source of nutrients for the life of the Basin and without it, it can have severe adverse effects on the biodiversity of the Amazon.
Also, Sahara dust is beneficial to the air we breathe. Ironic isn’t it lol? The rich reddish colour that taints the sky when Sahara dust is in the atmosphere is due to the iron found in the dust. The iron feeds the phytoplankton in the Caribbean sea and along the southeastern coast of the United States which is responsible for producing half of the world’s oxygen and taking up more than half of the world’s carbon dioxide through the process of phytoplankton photosynthesis.
Lastly, another major benefit of this dust to us here in the region is that it can suppress the intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms. Due to the very active hurricane season we’ve had for 2020, this is a major benefit as there have been numerous times where Sahara dust has reduced the intensity of tropical storms in the region.
Aren’t these some pretty interesting facts? Did you know that Sahara dust had such vital benefits for the environment and for the air we breathe? Let me know in the comments below 😊
-Daniella K