Study Suggests African Dust May Quell Hurricanes

[Squally]

POSTED: 2:06 pm EDT October 10, 2006
UPDATED: 2:07 pm EDT October 10, 2006

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WASHINGTON -- A new study suggests dust storms swirling out of Africa's Sahara Desert may help reduce hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.

The findings aren't conclusive, but researchers found that years with more African dust had fewer tropical storms and years with less dust had more storms.

The study is reported in Tuesday's issue of Geophysical Research Letters. Government scientists at the Hurricane Research Division in Miami have also suggested the dust could be hampering hurricanes

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[JonathanBelles]

we've already seen that in a couple hurricanes

[hurricanetrack]

Here is another link:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/10 ... index.html

I too thought that this was pretty much assumed for years. We have many classic examples of dust rolling up the strong tropical waves as they head out in to the Atlantic. Not trying to diminish their research, but I did not know this was still a debate. Perhaps now it can become official knowledge.

[HURAKAN]

I have been thinking a lot about this subject over the past year or so. I think it will be interesting to see how will the Atlantic hurricane activity be impacted in the next 100 - 200 years by SAL as the Sahara Desert continues to expand every year.

[wxman57]

I've been saying for years that the Atlantic Basin is moving into a pattern that appears similar to what was experienced in the 1940s-1960s. During that period, the average was about 10 named storms but 4 major hurricanes per season. There were many more U.S. landfalls in the 1940s-1960s than in the 1970s-1994 (cool Atlantic cycle).

Of course, there was no satellite back then. With a cool-phase PDO in the 1940s-1960s, I suspect that the Bermuda High was stronger than normal. That would have resulted in stronger trades and possibly more dust in the tropical Atlantic. With storms developing farther westward, there would be an increased risk of a U.S. landfall during a dusty period.

[caribepr]

Huh...that's a new study, interesting. Old locals here (and if you're a *young* local and read this, you know what I mean, so hush!) and in the VI's have told me as long as I've lived in the Caribbean (over a decade now) that Saharan dust is bad news for cleaning, good news for hurricane season. Of course, that is how I start my hurricane season anyway, ask the old folks what's coming - and they are usually right on target. Amazing what you learn when you don't live in air conditioning and pay attention

[brunota2003]

I thought we knew dust suppressed hurricanes? Its even been stated that the African dust may kill "X" system before it could grow enough to become a depression...as for the reducing numbers...if the system cant grow, then it doesnt add to the list...
*steps off rant box*

[bvigal]

Huh...that's a new study, interesting. Old locals here (and if you're a *young* local and read this, you know what I mean, so hush!) and in the VI's have told me as long as I've lived in the Caribbean (over a decade now) that Saharan dust is bad news for cleaning, good news for hurricane season. Of course, that is how I start my hurricane season anyway, ask the old folks what's coming - and they are usually right on target.

touche!! So true, so true!! Maybe same applies for volcanic dust... Soufriere, we may curse your continual dirt and haze day after day, but we truly love you!!

Amazing what you learn when you don't live in air conditioning and pay attention

MJ, you crack me up!!

[caribepr]

Amazing what you learn when you don't live in air conditioning and pay attention

MJ, you crack me up!!

Happy to entertain you, darlin'!

I'm supposed to sail to Jost for the Cat Fight next weekend...let's see what the weather does to THAT
idea - I might end up being a bedraggled pirate queen wanna be for All Hallow Eve....