Somehow I never processed this clip until today!
Every year, strong winds pick up massive amounts of dust from the Sahara Desert and blow it westward across the Atlantic Ocean. This dust layer, called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), can travel thousands of miles and reach the southern and eastern United States.
Here's what the SAL does to sunsets:
Stunning Colors: Normally, sunlight scatters off air molecules, making the sky appear blue. But during sunrise and sunset, the sunlight travels through more atmosphere. With SAL dust in the mix, the dust particles scatter and reflect more of the red, orange, and yellow wavelengths of light, creating those vibrant sunset hues we love.
Extra Twinkle: The dust particles also act like tiny prisms, further diffracting the sunlight and creating a more colorful and sometimes hazy spectacle.
So, next time you see a particularly fiery sunset, especially in the southern or eastern US, there's a good chance the Saharan dust is putting on a light show!
Thanks for watching the video Sahara Sands Sunsets - Amazing Footage from June 2021 - Beachwood, Ohio