NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D

For the first time, a NASA satellite has quantified in three dimensions how much dust makes the trans-Atlantic journey from the Sahara Desert to the Amazon rainforest. Among this dust is phosphorus, an essential nutrient that acts like a fertilizer, which the Amazon depends on in order to flourish.

The new dust transport estimates were derived from data collected by a lidar instrument on NASA's Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation, or CALIPSO, satellite from 2007 though 2013.

An average of 27.7 million tons of dust per year – enough to fill 104,980 semi trucks – fall to the surface over the Amazon basin. The phosphorus portion, an estimated 22,000 tons per year, is about the same amount as that lost from rain and flooding. The finding is part of a bigger research effort to understand the role of dust and aerosols in the environment and on local and global climate.

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[KaanTechCrazy]

World's the biggest desert is responsible for maintaining world the biggest forest.

Poetic and beautiful...

[gabesegun]

A clear lesson to us all that were are all connected.

[anitaseeram]

I live all the way in Trinidad...little island in the Caribbean...and starting just last year started suffering with severe sinus headaches because of the the amount of Sahara dust that's making it's way over to Trinidad...its crazy! 🤯

[highspacefox]

love you NASA
thanks for the opportunity to even know about this incredible relationship with the dusts of the Sahara and rainforests in the amazon, how cool!

[marinadomingues]

Certa vez, viajando pelo Amazonas, com a Society Expeditions de Seattle, Washington, levamos um tremenda chuva de areia. Os sábios condutores do grupo nos informaram que era areia vinda de algum rio na vizinhança. Não tinham a menor ideia de que de fato a areia vinha da África, como hoje sabemos, pois areia de beira de rio é molhada e não pode ser carregada assim pelo ar como estava acontecendo. Mas essa foi talvez a única vez que isso nos aconteceu, nas onze viagens que fiz, subindo e descendo o Rio Amazonas.

[MohamedAlNaamani]

What a balanced echo system we live in. Yet only people are responsible for destruction of echo system like this.

[veidorje]

it also supplies the gulf stream in minerals

[amylee]

In another video, it says that these sands prevent clouds and reduce precipitation which is causing droughts in places like Puerto Rico. This video suggests the opposite. All I know is that Puerto Rico has an increased amount of these sands every year and the droughts are becoming more severe. The rainforest in puerto Rico could be affected by this.

[jayschmidt]

This is truly brilliant. Thank you, Goddard

[SilverCrimsonDragon]

Modern science is now confirming what indigenous people all over the world have known for millennia. It's about time we start listening to them a bit more.

[Shadows]

Algeria (north africa) is not entirely sahara as shown on that 3d map, the north side of Algeria has mediteranian climat, it's full of plants and trees

[flaviavitorio]

Amazing Amazon and Sahara, love's in air!

[accessdenied]

Don't understand this article🤔 as far as reality in my island this dust creates asthma and respiratory problems. So how ya going to explain this problem?

[valeriacole]

Hello there, I would like to be able to download this video to use in a presentation I am giving this coming Thursday, is that possible?

[honestandfairelections]

Why does the NASA satellite image at 11 sec. stops and the density maps never go further?

[sultanlife]

that is the power of allah or god amazing dust from Africa will bring life all the way to South American isn't that amazing

Interesante dato, como afecta una zona de la Tierra totalmente opuesta a otra para bien.

[curisoul]

My thing is: what if it’s carrying some of those locusts amongst other things microscopic ? Even a genius asks questions!