The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (Inameh) reported that from this Sunday and for 96 hours a cloud of dust from the Sahara desert is expected to arrive in Venezuelan airspace.
He indicated that the particles will enter from the eastern region of Venezuela, reducing both air quality and visibility.
“It is expected that from today in the evening hours and at least for the next 96 hours, slight to moderate concentrations of Saharan dust will remain in our country; entering from the eastern portion, which will reduce air quality and horizontal visibility, “Inameh said on Twitter.
According to the Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory of the Atlantic, located in Miami, this phenomenon consists of the displacement of a very dry and dust-laden air mass, which forms over the Sahara desert in late spring, during summer and early fall.
This “dust cloud” usually moves into the North Atlantic Ocean every three to five days. According to the World Health Organization, dust from the Sahara contains bacteria, mercury, viruses, iron, and pesticides.
“These storms, when they manage to concentrate and reach populated areas of Europe and America, can cause the appearance of allergies and asthma attacks in many people.”
He added that when this haze appears, it is common for people to report flu or allergies. “They may have been caused by contact with particles of biological origin.”
Recently, the scientific community has discovered an incredible connection between the largest hot desert on the planet, the Sahara, and the largest forest mass on Earth, the Amazon.
The dust clouds that come out from Africa are able to cross the Atlantic and travel loaded with elements such as phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and iron, which when deposited on the Amazon rainforest help fertilize the soil.
Each year about 180 million tons are precipitated. The desert sand crosses the ocean pushed by the east component trade winds, the same ones that carried Columbus to America.
An article published in the journal Nature has also revealed how the haze has caused glacial periods throughout history. And as always happens, everything has to do directly with the amount of carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere.
As the desert dust crosses the Atlantic, some of it falls towards the ocean surface and the iron it contains also favors the fertilization of phytoplankton, an element that directly influences photosynthesis.
This process results in a greater absorption of carbon dioxide, which passes from the atmosphere to the seabed. According to the authors of the research, this mechanism would be behind at least half the reduction of the famous greenhouse gas during the glacial stages.
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