Atmospheric dust anomaly

New research reveals that dust carried by the wind from southern Africa towards Madagascar triggered the largest phytoplankton bloom in two decades – and, unusually, this occurred at a time of year when such blooms are rarely seen. The image shows the unusual cloud of dust, averaged over 15 November and 31 December 2019. While the relationship between desertification, dust emissions, and ocean fertilisation remains poorly understood, a new paper published in PNAS Nexus marks a significant step in unravelling these connections.

Read full story: Dust sparked biggest phytoplankton bloom in decades