What Is The Saharan Air Layer?

The Saharan Air Layer is a warm, dry, dust-filled mass of air that forms over the Sahara Desert. Every summer, this plume of dust lifts off the Sahara Desert and drifts thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean. It dims the sky over the Caribbean, hazy-oranges sunsets along the US Gulf Coast, and quietly raises the particulate matter levels inside homes that feel like they are nowhere near it.