As these causes of death result also from other factors – such as lifestyle and family history – they are usually referred to as premature deaths. A 2019 study, Effects of fossil fuel and total anthropogenic emission removal on public health and climate, found that the health burden of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is much higher than had been previously understood. The dry air accompanying the dust will also worsen drought conditions gripping many of the islands.

Sign up to receive notices of new postings here. The dust is accompanied by a large amount of dry air from the Saharan Air Layer, putting a damper on any hurricanes that attempt to form. Vision 2020: Are absentee votes and mail-in votes different? An expansive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert has moved from Africa to the southern United States.

Air pollution deaths are calculated using epidemiological studies, which correlate death rates with air pollution levels. Prevention participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Aerosols were also depicted by the ESA in an animated video (above) displaying just how far west the Saharan dust plume traveled between the timeframe of June 1 to June 26 of this year. And the unusually dense dust plumes from Africa … It is likely, though, that more African dust outbreaks will counteract this effect in the coming month, since African dust events typically are at their peak in July.

In 2019 (see Figure 3), precipitation across the northwestern Sahel was near average, which should result in a near-average African dust season and no unusual influence on the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. This result happens because the air in a thunderstorm’s updraft suddenly encounters a region where the updraft air is cooler and less buoyant than the surrounding air and thus cannot keep moving upward. If the dust particles are of the right size to serve as “condensation nuclei” – centers around which raindrops can form and grow – the dust can lead to more clouds. The Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission was the main point of contact for the video, tracking gases and aerosols alike. Saharan dust typically causes beautiful sunsets yes, but it can also cause air quality alerts.

You can now see how the incredibly large Saharan dust plume traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to parts of the Caribbean and the Gulf states last month in new satellite images. The Northern Lights May Be Visible in the U.S. Sanah is the associate editor at Prevention.com focusing on all things commerce within the health and lifestyle space. Of that total, natural sources of outdoor air pollution accounted for 3.24 million deaths per year, and human-caused sources 5.55 million deaths per year. A 2019 study, Effects of fossil fuel and total anthropogenic emission removal on public health and climate, found that the health burden of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution is much higher than had been previously assumed. © 2020 Yale Climate Connections | Site Host/Developer WebFirst, Bidding farewell to Dr. James McFadden, the longest-serving NOAA Hurricane Hunter, Tropical Storm Gamma may form as soon as Saturday, At least three named Atlantic storms likely during October, Global demand for U.S. military assistance increasing as weather grows more extreme, Effects of fossil fuel and total anthropogenic emission removal on public health and climate, Evidence of the control of summer atmospheric transport of African dust over the Atlantic by Sahel sources from TOMS satellites (1979-2000). At one point, NASA’s satellites captured images of the cloud of dust swirling over the North Atlantic Ocean. Why trust us? The famed Pitons on St. Lucia in the Caribbean, shrouded by African dust, on June 21, 2020. The European Space Agency (ESA) has been keeping an eye on the dust storm phenomenon, also referred to as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), tracking it since it formed in late June 2020. Climate models for coming decades show this wind pattern altering to create a significant downward trend in African dust emission and transport as greenhouse gas concentrations increase. A premature air pollution-related death typically occurs about 12 years earlier than it otherwise might have, according to Caiazzo et al., 2013. When dust clouds waft across the ocean, they are carried by the same trade winds that blow west off the coast of Africa, and they can churn up tropical storms and hurricanes, Gill said. African dust cloud will arrive in Texas this week, causing irritating symptoms for some By Abigail Rosenthal Published 9:49 pm CDT, Monday, June 22, 2020

Those temperatures ranked as the fourth-highest on record for the region. Air pollution deaths are calculated using epidemiological studies, which correlate death rates with air pollution levels. Recent satellite imagery shows another strong Saharan Air Layer incursion is underway over the tropical Atlantic, accompanied again by a thick cloud of African dust. So large amounts of dust can keep the sea surface temperatures up to 1 degree Celsius cooler than average in the hurricane Main Development Region from the coast of Africa to the Caribbean, providing hurricanes with less energy to form and grow. Ocean temperatures in the MDR currently are 0.7 degree Fahrenheit above average, so that anomaly should ease this week as the dust blocks sunlight. Air pollution has been proven to increase the incidence of deaths caused by strokes, heart attacks, and lung disease. The satellite was able to detect that the aerosol layer traveled just about 3 to 6 km (about 2 to 4 miles) above the ground. For information on YCC’s “Eye on the Storm,” visit this page. Such a shift might benefit West Africa via improved air quality and increased rainfall, but might also allow for more warming of the tropical Atlantic, making it better suited for hurricane formation and growth. Support from readers like you helps us do our best work. ), © 2020 Yale Climate Connections | Site Host/Developer WebFirst, Bidding farewell to Dr. James McFadden, the longest-serving NOAA Hurricane Hunter, Tropical Storm Gamma may form as soon as Saturday, At least three named Atlantic storms likely during October, Global demand for U.S. military assistance increasing as weather grows more extreme, Effects of fossil fuel and total anthropogenic emission removal on public health and climate.

Got questions? The amount of dust that gets transported over the Atlantic depends on a mix of three main factors: large-scale and local-scale weather patterns (windy weather transports more dust), how wet the current rainy season is (wet weather will wash out dust before it gets transported over the Atlantic), and how dry and drought-damaged the soil is. Because atmospheric temperature normally decreases with height, this “inversion” acts to put the brakes on any thunderstorms that try to punch through it. The AQI was in the orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) range on that day, and reached the red (unhealthy) range on June 26 and 27 over the Florida Panhandle, much of Texas, and a small portion of Oklahoma. Slower surface winds allow the ocean surface to warm by reducing the amount of cool waters from the depths that are stirred up to the surface, caused by reduced evaporative cooling. The African dust cloud brought unhealthy levels of PM2.5 to much of the southeastern U.S. beginning on Thursday, June 25, when the air quality index (AQI) exceeded the 24-hour U.S. EPA standard for PM2.5 over the Florida Panhandle region. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Send an email to EyeOnTheStorm. As these causes of death result also from other factors – such as lifestyle and family history – they are usually referred to as premature deaths.

That said, this week’s dust storm is an impressive one, with a much larger areal extent than average. According to a 2018 study done by the Health Effects Institute (a U.S. nonprofit corporation funded by EPA and the auto industry), PM2.5 pollution in the U.S. caused approximately 87,000 premature deaths per year between 2010 and 2016. Dust acts as a shield, keeping sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface. The ongoing Saharan #dust outbreak across the tropical Atlantic is *by far* the most extreme of the MODIS satellite record -- our most detailed, continuous record of global dust back to 2002. Considering its size and the distance the Saharan dust plume traveled, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calls the storm “unusual.” Unlike other recorded events of its kind, the Saharan Air Layer experienced this year was “about 60 to 70% dustier than the average outbreak,” they say.

The dust is also acting to decrease the amount of sunlight hitting the surface, cooling the ocean and further discouraging hurricane activity. At a Glance. Good luck breathing easy after this. A massive dust storm formed over the Sahara Desert last week and invaded the Caribbean over the June 20-21 weekend, bringing dangerous levels of air pollution and low visibility to the islands. Go here to subscribe to Prevention and get 12 FREE gifts. The Saharan dust usually comes together over the African desert between the late spring and early fall. The air pollution event over parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast, composed of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5, particles less than 2.5 microns or 0.0001 inch in diameter) and PM10 (particles less than 10 microns in diameter) was one of the most widespread and intense observed in recent decades.

The cooling may be relatively short-lived, however. As the dust plume swept its way from the Saharan Desert across the Atlantic Ocean, the Copernicus Sentinel satellites and the agency’s Aeolus satellite captured data and images of the event, giving us some truly spectacular pictures. Experts say more dust storms are likely in coming weeks and months, but not all will affect the U.S., and few will likely reach the intensity of the June 2020 event.

Princeton’s Latin America Flood and Drought Monitor shows the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico experiencing particularly intense drought conditions. However, if the dust acts to make more low-level clouds over the tropical Atlantic, the amount of sunlight reaching the ocean is reduced, cooling the sea surface temperatures and discouraging hurricane formation (Kaufman et al., 2005). (Photo credit: Michael Lowry ) Experts say more dust storms are likely in coming weeks and months, but not all will affect the U.S., and few will likely reach the intensity of the June 2020 event. Of that total, natural sources of outdoor air pollution accounted for 3.24 million deaths per year, and human-caused sources caused 5.55 million deaths per year. A particularly severe dust storm from the Saharan desert is nearing the southern US, satellite images show. To keep up with news on timing for launch of the blog, sign up for announcements. 3. What's The Deal With That Viral Video Showing People How Damaged Their Skin Really Is? 1. Dust acts as a shield, which keeps sunlight from reaching the surface. See this related tweet: It illustrates the El Yunque region of Northeast Puerto Rico before arrival of the African dust cloud (left) and after (right). Please read our Comments Policy prior to posting comments. Air pollution aggravates COVID-19 symptoms, and likely led to increases in hospital admissions from the disease in regions where dust concentrations spiked. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The level of drought experienced in the northwestern Sahel during the previous year is the key factor of the three in determining how much dust gets transported over the Atlantic during hurricane season, according to a January 2004 study in Geophysical Research Letters published by C. Moulin and I. Chiapello. The inversion is stronger, which inhibits the thunderstorms that power a hurricane.