Latest news with #SaharaDesert
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's agritech brings water to Egypt's giant beet sugar factory in Sahara Desert
Near the edge of the Sahara Desert, in Egypt's West Minya, Chinese drillers bore deep into the earth, tapping groundwater to irrigate a once 500-hectare stretch of desert – now home to the world's largest beet sugar factory. Advertisement China's Zhongman Petroleum has drilled 193 wells over the past three years to irrigate the farm, which supplies Canal Sugar – a joint venture backed by investors from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt – with an annual capacity of 900,000 tonnes, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. To tackle unstable aquifers and prevent the collapse of wells, Zhongman used air-foam drilling – a method that replaces traditional mud with a mix of air and foaming agents – to reduce leakage and improve efficiency. Many Egyptian drilling companies have since adopted the technique. The drilling project is part of China's efforts in recent years to export agricultural technology to emerging markets , especially in the Middle East, as it seeks to expand cooperation through technical know-how. Analysts said the partnership reflects a strategic alignment. As Chinese companies pursue more overseas opportunities in response to domestic economic pressures, Middle Eastern countries increasingly look to Chinese expertise to address their own development challenges. Advertisement In mid-May, when US President Donald Trump kicked off his investment-focused visit to the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom's agricultural officials were signing deals with Chinese companies in Beijing – ultimately securing 57 agreements worth 26.9 billion yuan (US$ 3.7 billion). The deals spanned a range of projects in the environmental, water, agricultural, fisheries and livestock sectors. Key initiatives include knowledge exchanges on water recycling, the development of human capacity-building programmes, the establishment of seaweed cultivation stations and the production of biofuels and biofertilisers, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
CNN
03-06-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Canadian wildfire smoke and a dust plume from Africa could collide over the South this week
Wildfires Air quality Pollution AfricaFacebookTweetLink Follow Air quality is taking a hit in parts of the central and eastern United States as smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada pours south – but that isn't the only thing millions of people will notice in the sky this week. A plume of dust originating from Africa's Sahara Desert is tracking west across the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday and will soon reach parts of the Southeast. This dust could collide with any lingering smoke in the South this week, potentially causing unhealthy air quality and a hazy, duller sky during the day, bracketed by colorful sunrises and sunsets. Here's when to expect the worst of each. Nearly a hundred wildfires continue to burn out of control across Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario. The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have seen some of the worst blazes, which have forced thousands of people forced to flee their homes over the last week. Smoke from those wildfires expanded rapidly over Canada and the US in recent days, stretching over an area of Canada equivalent to double the size of Texas – more than half a million square miles – last Thursday. That smoke area had doubled in size by Sunday, covering more than 1.2 million square miles in Canada. Heavy smoke also overspread about 750,000 square miles of the US on Sunday. That's a huge problem due to some tiny pollutants. Wildfire smoke contains very dangerous pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled. The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. The smoke is most dangerous in areas where it is thickest and closest to the ground. As of early Tuesday, that includes parts of southern Canada and the Upper Midwest, where trackers show air quality is diminished. Thick smoke can block out the sun and wreak havoc on anyone outdoors with unprotected eyes, noses and throats. Some smoke is also drifting slightly higher in the atmosphere. The higher the smoke travels, the less it affects air quality – but it still makes the sky hazy and shields the sun. Most of the affected areas in the US aren't experiencing the worst case smoke scenario. But there's still some risk to vulnerable populations, like children, as its impact to air quality while lessened, isn't zero. Smoke and haze will be noticeable for millions of people in the eastern half of the US Tuesday. It could be hazy at times from Chicago to Upstate New York and as far south as parts of Georgia and Florida. The haze will linger Wednesday in parts of the Midwest, East and South, and a new wave of thicker smoke could rush into the north-central US as a cold front trudges east. Smoke from these wildfires will likely keep impacting the US through at least the end of the week, but it's difficult to pinpoint exactly which areas will experience the worst of it more than a couple days in advance. While smoke invades the US from the north, another entity is floating toward the country from the east: Saharan dust. This week's plume is already visible from space via satellite imagery as it blows over the Atlantic Ocean. The bulk of the plume is set to reach Florida by early Wednesday and spread over more of the Southeast by Thursday. Dust and smoke could overlap in some areas, making for an especially hazy or dim sky and poorer air quality than if just one of the two factors was in play. Like wildfire smoke, dust plumes are composed of small particulate matter that can be hazardous if inhaled – especially for people who already have breathing issues. As its name suggests, Saharan dust originates in the Sahara Desert, where strong winds blow dust and dry air west out of the region frequently from late spring to early fall. The dust plumes often attract the most attention during the summer because their dry air can disrupt the formation of tropical systems, like hurricanes. They also create colorful sunrises and sunsets with deeper oranges and reds when the conditions are right. The size of the plume and where it flows in the atmosphere will change its impacts. This dust plume is thicker than previous bouts of dust in May, but it should thin out the farther it tracks into the US this week. • Canada's fire forecast looks bad. The impacts could spill across the border into the US • Smoke pours into the US as Canada wildfires force province's largest evacuation in 'living memory' • Wildfires – and their toxic smoke – are affecting us more often. What can we do about it?
CNN
03-06-2025
- Climate
- CNN
Canadian wildfire smoke and a dust plume from Africa could collide over the South this week
Wildfires Air quality Pollution AfricaFacebookTweetLink Follow Air quality is taking a hit in parts of the central and eastern United States as smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada pours south – but that isn't the only thing millions of people will notice in the sky this week. A plume of dust originating from Africa's Sahara Desert is tracking west across the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday and will soon reach parts of the Southeast. This dust could collide with any lingering smoke in the South this week, potentially causing unhealthy air quality and a hazy, duller sky during the day, bracketed by colorful sunrises and sunsets. Here's when to expect the worst of each. Nearly a hundred wildfires continue to burn out of control across Canada, from British Columbia to Ontario. The provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan have seen some of the worst blazes, which have forced thousands of people forced to flee their homes over the last week. Smoke from those wildfires expanded rapidly over Canada and the US in recent days, stretching over an area of Canada equivalent to double the size of Texas – more than half a million square miles – last Thursday. That smoke area had doubled in size by Sunday, covering more than 1.2 million square miles in Canada. Heavy smoke also overspread about 750,000 square miles of the US on Sunday. That's a huge problem due to some tiny pollutants. Wildfire smoke contains very dangerous pollutants called PM2.5 that can travel deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream when inhaled. The minuscule particles can lead to breathing problems like bronchitis and cause inflammation that aggravates diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions. The smoke is most dangerous in areas where it is thickest and closest to the ground. As of early Tuesday, that includes parts of southern Canada and the Upper Midwest, where trackers show air quality is diminished. Thick smoke can block out the sun and wreak havoc on anyone outdoors with unprotected eyes, noses and throats. Some smoke is also drifting slightly higher in the atmosphere. The higher the smoke travels, the less it affects air quality – but it still makes the sky hazy and shields the sun. Most of the affected areas in the US aren't experiencing the worst case smoke scenario. But there's still some risk to vulnerable populations, like children, as its impact to air quality while lessened, isn't zero. Smoke and haze will be noticeable for millions of people in the eastern half of the US Tuesday. It could be hazy at times from Chicago to Upstate New York and as far south as parts of Georgia and Florida. The haze will linger Wednesday in parts of the Midwest, East and South, and a new wave of thicker smoke could rush into the north-central US as a cold front trudges east. Smoke from these wildfires will likely keep impacting the US through at least the end of the week, but it's difficult to pinpoint exactly which areas will experience the worst of it more than a couple days in advance. While smoke invades the US from the north, another entity is floating toward the country from the east: Saharan dust. This week's plume is already visible from space via satellite imagery as it blows over the Atlantic Ocean. The bulk of the plume is set to reach Florida by early Wednesday and spread over more of the Southeast by Thursday. Dust and smoke could overlap in some areas, making for an especially hazy or dim sky and poorer air quality than if just one of the two factors was in play. Like wildfire smoke, dust plumes are composed of small particulate matter that can be hazardous if inhaled – especially for people who already have breathing issues. As its name suggests, Saharan dust originates in the Sahara Desert, where strong winds blow dust and dry air west out of the region frequently from late spring to early fall. The dust plumes often attract the most attention during the summer because their dry air can disrupt the formation of tropical systems, like hurricanes. They also create colorful sunrises and sunsets with deeper oranges and reds when the conditions are right. The size of the plume and where it flows in the atmosphere will change its impacts. This dust plume is thicker than previous bouts of dust in May, but it should thin out the farther it tracks into the US this week. • Canada's fire forecast looks bad. The impacts could spill across the border into the US • Smoke pours into the US as Canada wildfires force province's largest evacuation in 'living memory' • Wildfires – and their toxic smoke – are affecting us more often. What can we do about it?
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Massive plume of dust barrels toward Florida
A massive plume of dust the size of the entire US is moving across the Atlantic Ocean and is set to hit Florida this week. The dust cloud is coming from the Sahara Desert and was formed by strong winds sweeping tiny sand and mineral particles off the surface. The plume is predicted to hit South Florida by Wednesday and the Gulf States a few days later, but locals could begin seeing dust hanging in the atmosphere sooner. Experts warn that it can make breathing difficult, especially for people with asthma, allergies, or other respiratory issues, because it carries fine particles that can irritate the lungs. As of Monday, t he cloud extended roughly 2,000 miles from Jamaica to well past Barbados in the eastern Caribbean, and about 750 miles from the Turks and Caicos Islands in the north down to Trinidad and Tobago in the south. 'It's very impressive,' said Alex DaSilva, lead hurricane expert with AccuWeather. While the plume is moving toward the US, DaSilva said it likely lost most of its concentration in the eastern Caribbean. 'Those islands tend to see more of an impact, more of a concentration where it can actually block out the sun a little bit at times,' he added. Scientists in Florida have reported seeing slightly hazy skies. Pictured: A general view of San Salvador as dust carried by winds from the Sahara desert shrouds city, in El Salvador June 25, 2020. Joseph Prospero, professor emeritus at the University of Miami Center for Aerosol Science and Technology, told The New York Times: 'Typically we have nice blue skies, but with the dust, the whole sky looks soft and warm because the particles themselves are red.' 'Everything looks muted,' he added. The dry and dusty air known as the Saharan Air Layer forms over the Sahara Desert in Africa and moves west across the Atlantic Ocean starting around April until about October. Each summer, seasonal weather patterns like the West African Monsoon and high-pressure systems create strong winds that sweep across the Sahara. These winds pick up tiny particles known as aeolian dust and lift them into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the Bermuda-Azores High, a high-pressure system over the Atlantic Ocean, produces steady east-to-west winds that help carry the dust across the ocean. It also prevents tropical waves from forming during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30. June and July usually have the highest dust concentration on average, with plumes traveling anywhere from 5,000 feet to 20,000 feet above the ground, DaSilva said. In June 2020, a massive Saharan dust cloud, nicknamed the 'Godzilla plume,' swept from West Africa across the Atlantic, bringing hazy skies from Texas to the Carolinas. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) called it the largest event in nearly 50 years, with reduced visibility and air quality alerts issued across multiple states. Then in July 2023, another thick wave of Saharan dust blanketed Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, turning skies orange and pushing air quality into 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' in cities like Miami and Houston. This year's plume is different as it's earlier, denser, and more concentrated, with higher levels of fine particles. As a result, health officials and meteorologists are keeping a close eye on its impact. The size and intensity of these dust clouds vary from year to year, but scientists believe that shifting wind patterns and climate change may be contributing to more frequent and powerful plumes.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hallucinations and starvation: Meet the man who ran ultramarathon in Sahara Desert
HALLUCINATIONS, sandstorms and starvation were just some of the things Grant Smith wrestled with when he completed the Marathon des Sables. The 157-mile route in the Sahara Desert in Morocco sees participants run six marathons in seven days, while carrying their own food and survival equipment. Smith, 46, from Brize Norton, needed more than half a year to get into the physical shape required for such a challenge. READ ALSO: Hoops learn what division they will be in for 2025/26 season He told this newspaper: 'I'd never done this one before. I'd done half-sized ones previously, but this was the full one. 'I've been running for 20 years because I find it helps with work stresses and life pressures, but for this, you ramp it up and before you know it, you're running in the desert. 'Training-wise, I was doing 10 to 12 hours a week, carrying 10kg of weight. One of the furthest runs was from Brize to Broadway in Worcestershire on the back of doing a couple of 10-milers in the week and various strength and conditioning exercises. 'The preparation was over six to eight months, with the focus being able to carry that sort of weight for a long period of time. 'I wore a sweatsuit during my training. I would go on the treadmill in a room with the doors shut and the radiator on before then going out.' Grant Smith completed the Marathon des Sables (Image: Grant Smith) For all Smith's training, there were some things that Brize Norton and its surroundings couldn't prepare him for. He said: 'The temperatures get to over 40 degrees, and for one part, there was a horrific sandstorm which blew up, and there was lightning in it. That was scary, but amazing as well. 'I always knew it was going to be the hardest thing I'd done to date. I've climbed Kilimanjaro, but this is the Everest of running. 'In the race, I was conscious that people were hallucinating, and you lose all sense of reality. I hallucinated that people were running past me the other way. 'You have to self-medicate your feet, so that included daily trips to the triage tent to inject your feet and sort out blisters. 'The weight loss is quite considerable. We're burning from 4,000 to 8,000 calories a day, so starvation kicks in. 'I've got a knee problem which I've had to manage for a long time, but I had to get through it. There are the usual aches and pains, which is where the training helps you deal with it.' Upon his return to Oxfordshire, having made a vow for 20 years, there was only one thing for Smith to do. He explained: 'I've never had a tattoo before, and I'd always said if I did this that it would be the only time I would get one. 'The first thing when I got back, my wife, kids and brother got me into the shop, and I got the logo on my ankle.'
