--- title: NASA is Monitoring Sand Flying From the Sahara to the Amazon description: Dust from the Sahara aids vegetation growth in the Amazon canonical: https://time.com/3721808/nasa-sahara-amazon-sand/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-25T13:07:59.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T09:02:56.750Z article:section: Science og:title: Watch How NASA Monitors Sand Flying From the Sahara to the Amazon og:description: Millions of tons of Saharan dust land in the Amazon each year og:url: https://time.com/3721808/nasa-sahara-amazon-sand/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt31ef444d9a7283a5/698780e0f887dc262ce8a4b7/nasa-sahara-sand.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2363 og:image:height: 1329 og:image:alt: Nasa Sahara sand og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch How NASA Monitors Sand Flying From the Sahara to the Amazon twitter:description: Millions of tons of Saharan dust land in the Amazon each year twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt31ef444d9a7283a5/698780e0f887dc262ce8a4b7/nasa-sahara-sand.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch How NASA Monitors Sand Flying From the Sahara to the Amazon > Sponsored content. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=54731cf7-4492-4771-84a0-a553b5c6e5c7&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D [Watch (HLS stream): NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/fcA8XqLp.m3u8) (2:13)  _Published 2015-02-25. NASA | Satellite Tracks Saharan Dust to Amazon in 3-D_ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Feb 25, 2015 1:07 PM UTC by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Feb 25, 2015 1:07 PM UTC A NASA satellite has been monitoring the movement of sand from the Sahara Desert in Africa to the Amazon rainforest in South America. The space agency’s Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation ([CALIPSO](http://www.nasa.gov/mission%5Fpages/calipso/mission/)) is tracking the massive plumes of dust particles that make the Atlantic crossing from the great African desert to the largest rainforest in the world, where the particles settle and aid plant growth. The phosphorus content of the African dust is an important nutrient in the Amazon. On average, 182 million tons of dust leave Africa each year, of which 27 million tons is deposited in the Amazon basin, according to data collected since CALIPSO launched in 2006\. The amount varies each year, however. “Using satellites to get a clear picture of dust is important for understanding and eventually using computers to model where that dust will go now and in future climate scenarios,” NASA research scientist Hongbin Yu says. _Read next:_ [_This Is How Incredible (and Terrifying) Space Looks in Virtual Reality_](http://time.com/3721912/earthlight-virtual-reality-trailer/?xid=time%5Freadnext) ### PHOTOS: 20 Breathtaking Images of Earth From Space  Aleppo, Syria, May 26, 2013 – The Citadel of Aleppo – medieval fortified palace DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Belfast, Northern Ireland, Nov. 3, 2013 – “Wish,” a large-scale art work DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Utah, USA, April 22, 2013 – Colorado River DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Cuanza River, Angola, April 28, 2013 – Cambambe Dam DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Doha, Qatar, March 4, 2013 – Artificial island spanning nearly four million sq meters. DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Dunalley, Australia, Jan. 6, 2013 – fires, false color image (red = healthy vegetation) DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Australia, April 22, 2013 – Great Barrier Reef DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Gwadar coast, Pakistan Sept. 29, 2013 – new island created by earthquake in Pakistan DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Croatia, Feb. 16, 2013 – Galešnjak (Island of Love) DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Hong Kong, China May 9, 2013 – giant rubber duck DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, March 22, 2013 – Manam Volcano DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Namib Desert, Namibia, May 13, 2013 – Sossusvlie area DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Naples, Italy, Feb. 19 2013 – Mount Vesuvius DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Niger, Feb. 13, 2013 – Arlit Uranium Mine DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Schooner Cays, Bahamas, May 26, 2013 DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Sochi, Russia, March 17, 2013 – Site of 2014 winter Olympics DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Near the city of Sur, Oman, Feb. 13, 2013 – massive “green tide” DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Valencia, Spain, July 19, 2013 – Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia and Gulliver Park with an enormous fiberglass model of Lemuel Gulliver trapped DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Versailles, France, Aug. 20, 2013 – Palace of Versailles DigitalGlobe—Getty Images  Xi'an, China, Sept. 24, 2013 – Shiyuan Park DigitalGlobe—Getty Images [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] NASA scientists have performed the first multi- year study using satellite data to measure the 3D distribution of dust that travels from the Sahara Desert to the Amazon Rainforest. The Sahara is the world's largest desert. At more than 3 million square miles, it's almost the size of the continental United States. Each year, Saharan dust is lifted from the ground and transported by winds on a 3, 000 mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean. A portion of the dust lets in the Amazon Basin, the largest rainforest on the planet. Although dust particles are small, no larger than around 1 / 10th of a width of a human hair, they form massive plumes that can be seen from space. [ MUSIC ] Nasa's Calipso satellite was launched in 2006 to study the radical structure of clouds and particles in Earth's atmosphere. Calipso observations from 2007 through 2013 show the on average 182 million tons of dust leaves Africa each year. [ MUSIC ] Of this amount, about 27 millions is deposited in the Amazon basin. Sahara [ UNKNOWN ] contain phosphorous, which is an important nutrient for plants. In the tropic region, the phosphorous is quite limited. So it's important to estimate how much dust from desert is transported to the Amazon. [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] The study shows Saharan dusts adds phosphorus to the soils, that help compensate for losses due to surface runoff and floods. However, the amount of dust transported to the Amazon changes from year to year. According to the study, this variation is closely associated with changes in rainfall in the Sahel, a belt of semi- arid land just south of the Sahara. When the Sahara was dry, the dust transport to the Amazon in the next year would increase. When it was wet, that transport will decrease. Using satellites to get a clearer picture ,. 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