Dust from the Sahara Desert stretches across the tropical Atlantic Ocean in late June/early July 201
Over the final week of June and into early July, haze settled in over the tropical Atlantic. The plume came from small dust particles that were picked up from the Sahara Desert in Africa and transported thousands of miles by the wind. Besides some beautiful sunsets, it has meant poor air quality in the United States and a relatively quiet period during the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season.
In this satellite animation from the GOES-16 geostationary satellite sitting 22 thousand miles above the planet, you can track a plume of Saharan dust from its origin leaving West Africa all the way across the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The distinctive yellow-orange haze associated with the dust can be seen on satellite traversing thousands of miles over just seven days reaching the far western Caribbean. That yellow-orange view extended to people on the ground as well as the dust reduced visibility and air quality in the Caribbean.
One plume on June 29 even reached coastal Texas, combining with human-caused pollutants to make for a dangerous air pollution day.
Climate.gov