Saharan Air Layer Captured by NOAA Satellites

Yesterday, a NOAA satellite captured an incredible image of dust being carried off the west coast of Africa.

This happens frequently and the area of dust is referred to as the ‘Saharan Air Layer’. The dust gets carried off the mainland by strong winds and a very dry, dusty air mass is advected over the Atlantic Ocean.

This area off of the African coast is a good area for tropical cyclone development later in the Atlantic Hurricane season. Luckily, the Saharan Air Layer is great at diminishing cyclone development as the dry air weakens any cyclones. Also, the winds and vertical wind shear needed to move the dust over the ocean are known for tearing apart cyclones.