Saharan dust over Romania. How long does the phenomenon last? Climatologist Roxana Bojariu’s explanation

The wave of Saharan dust that we all noticed this morning in several parts of the country was more visible because it rained a lot, says climatologist Roxana Bojariu on Digi FM.

The south of Greece, especially the capital Athens, was the area most affected by this cloud of dust, states Roxana Bojariu.

In fact, the authorities there speak of one of the worst episodes of this kind that have affected the country since 2018. In our country, the episode will end today.

“This air mass, loaded with the rest of the Saharan dust, is heading east, the east of the country and then towards the area of ​​the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and over the Black Sea. It was really a strong episode, especially for the South of Greece, for Athens, where a change in the color of the sky was also observed, very strong depositions. It was more visible because we had rain this time. Visibility also depends on precipitation. This season, in general, has been stronger for Saharan dust transport, generally in Europe,” said Roxana Bojariu.

The climatologist says that in the spring conditions are favorable for the transport of Saharan dust to Europe. Very strong cyclones that form in the Mediterranean can transport Saharan dust over distances of thousands of kilometers. But what we don’t know about this Saharan dust: it also has positive sides, for example it helps the soil to become more fertile. The negative side is related to air pollution:

“This dust can overlap with local pollution, and the closer you are to the source of the dust, it’s clear that the air quality will be reduced. But it also has beneficial effects related to the enrichment of the soil with minerals, iron, phosphorus. Okay, that’s about time. But also above the Mediterranean Sea, when they are deposited in the sea, they favor the phytoplankton, the one that actually provides us with much of the amount of oxygen, for example, in the terrestrial atmosphere. There are also these negative effects related to air quality,” concluded climatologist Roxana Bojariu.

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