Research on Calima Dust in Tenerife is a Scientific Urgency Led by Scientists from the University of La Laguna and Virginia Tech University in the United States
They initiated a research project, with financial support from NASA, focused on Saharan dust that settles on the Canary Islands and spreads further, even reaching the United States. The research team will conduct an in-depth mineralogical analysis of the dust. This new project was announced during a visit to La Laguna by members of the research team from Virginia Tech University.
Bermuda and Barbados
An initiative is underway to study the changes in microorganisms present in air masses originating from the Sahara Desert, which, after the Canary Islands, reach the shores of the American continent.
Further collaboration is ongoing with scientific institutes in Bermuda and Barbados, where air samples are taken to monitor the Saharan air masses. The University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands is also contributing to the project.
The samples are currently being analyzed, and the fieldwork that began last year with David Schmale, a biologist at Virginia Tech University, is now being continued.
Until August 2024
During his visit, Hossein Foroutan announced his intention to submit a proposal for a new project, also funded by NASA, aimed at analyzing the mineralogical content of Saharan dust in collaboration with Canarian researchers Cristina González and Juan Pedro Díaz.
Years of experience have already been accumulated on the influence of mineral dust on the energy balance in the Earth-atmosphere system—in other words, how atmospheric particles change during energy transport. The project Microbial Biodiversity in Trans-Atlantic Dust Plumes concluded in August 2024.
5,000 Routes
Scientists have discovered that aerosols have traveled more than 5,000 different routes from the Western Sahara to America. Ongoing analyses aim to understand how particles move through the atmosphere and under what conditions this occurs, with temperature and humidity being key factors.
One of the most significant findings so far is that most dust particles end up in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States during the summer, while in winter, they reach the Amazon rainforest. Another finding is that microorganisms arriving in the Amazon during the winter have a higher chance of survival because they remain suspended for longer periods.
Regina Hanlon, a biologist at the lab of the School of Biology and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech University, is responsible for analyzing the samples sent by both the University of La Laguna and other participating entities.
You can read about what a calima is [HERE].
Pixabay © Photography
Research on Calima Dust in Tenerife ©
More WEATHER can be read [HERE]
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