Sahara Dust is debris such as sand, smoke, soot, and dirt that comes from the Sahara Desert in Africa. The Sahara Desert takes up 3.552 million square miles!! The Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is an intensely dry, warm, and heavy dust layer that originates from this giant Sahara Desert! It travels over the ocean to reach North America, the Caribbean, and South America. The SAL travels across the Atlantic Ocean on air currents, winds, and atmospheric patterns. This mostly happens during the hurricane season in the Northern Hemisphere because those strong winds can steer this giant layer of dust! Saharan dust can cause the air quality to be worse because all of that dust and small particles can impact some people’s breathing. That is what Saharan Dust is!
