LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – Have you been seeing a haze on the horizon?
Well, your eyes are not deceiving you! The dust you are seeing is Saharan Dust. Yes, the Sahara Desert in Africa. This means the dust that is settling in Arkansas has traveled over 6,600 miles.
The African dust arrived on the Texas coast this past weekend and it is projected to stay along the coast through Thursday, July 5. The closer you are to the coast the worse the air quality will get.
According to NASA, hundreds of millions of tons of dust are picked up from the deserts of Africa and carried across the Atlantic every year. This is typically east to west wind patterns at the lower latitudes. Arkansas sometimes can see the dust if the winds are coming from the direction of the plume.
The dust causes hazy horizons, but can also be the reason behind pretty sunrises and sunsets. Especially in the Caribbean where the dust amounts are higher. Unfortunately, the dust can negatively impact people with respiratory issues.
A positive from the Saharan Dust moving in is the hindering of tropical activity. The dust travels with dry air and the dry air creates a sinking motion which weakens tropical systems. The air that carries the dust also creates vertical wind shear which is detrimental in tropical storm activity.
If you see a haze in your neighborhood, send in your pictures! Just use the hashtag, Be On 11.