African Dust Caused Red Soil in Southern Europe (IMAGE)

Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology

African Dust Caused Red Soil in Southern Europe

Caption

Spanish and American researchers have conducted a mineralogical and chemical analysis to ascertain the origin of "terra rossa" soil in the Mediterranean. The results of the study reveal that mineral dust from the African regions of the Sahara and Sahel, which emit between 600 and 700 tonnes of dust a year, brought about the reddish soil in Mediterranean regions such as Mallorca and Sardinia between 12,000 and 25,000 years ago.

Credit

Anna Ávila

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