Desert dust acts as a thermal blanket and can heat the Earth twice as much as models estimated.

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 29/04/2026 at 23:17

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A new study led by the University of California, Los Angeles, indicates that dust suspended in the atmosphere, especially that coming from arid regions like the Sahara and Gobi, may account for about 10% of the warming caused by CO₂ emitted by human activities.

Desert dust can act as a stronger thermal blanket than previously estimated, warming the Earth almost twice as much as predicted by current climate models. A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, indicates that suspended particles from arid regions have a greater impact on terrestrial heat retention.

The effect could account for about 10% of the warming associated with carbon dioxide emitted by human activities. Previous estimates placed this influence at around 5%, indicating a significant difference for understanding the climate system.

Thermal blanket alters view on atmospheric dust

Atmospheric dust has always been treated as a secondary component in the climate, mainly due to its ability to reflect part of the sunlight back into space. This process tends to cool the Earth’s surface, but it does not summarize the entire behavior of suspended particles.

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Larger particles play a central role in warming

The result was obtained by combining satellite data, airborne measurements, and climate simulations. This approach allowed for a more precise reading of the heat-retaining effect caused by suspended dust.

Larger particles appear as a decisive point. This coarser dust, visible in Saharan dust storms, for example, efficiently retains heat, but its presence in the atmosphere had been underestimated in climate models.

The behavior of dust depends on factors such as particle size, height in the atmosphere, concentration, and mineral composition. Therefore, the same phenomenon can reflect solar radiation and, at the same time, contribute to warming through the retention of infrared radiation.

Human activity has expanded dust sources

Atmospheric dust does not come only from natural processes. During the 20th century, concentrations increased significantly and peaked in the 1980s before receding slightly.

Even with the subsequent decline, levels still remain above those recorded in the pre-industrial period. Soil degradation, desertification, intensive water use in agriculture, and ecosystem transformation have created new sources of dust.

Examples include old dry or overexploited lake beds in regions of the United States and Central Asia. Thus, in addition to deserts like the Sahara and Gobi, there are sources associated with changes caused by human decisions.

Impacts reach rain, water, and agriculture

Dust influences more than global temperature. It modifies the thermal structure of the atmosphere, alters air circulation patterns, and can change the distribution of rainfall in different regions.

Areas downwind of large deserts, such as the Sahel, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, may experience less rain or more intense and irregular episodes. The temperature increase can also accelerate water evaporation and reduce water availability in vulnerable areas.

The effects impact agriculture, natural ecosystems, and the prevention of extreme events. In some areas, more spaced and heavy rains can increase the risk of floods, while others may suffer from longer droughts.

Dust also transports nutrients, such as phosphorus from the Sahara to the Amazon, fertilizing soils thousands of kilometers away. Even this balance can change if atmospheric dynamics are altered, reinforcing the importance of adjusting climate models to better represent this natural thermal blanket.

Desert dust seems harmless, but scientists have discovered that it holds twice as much heat as previously thought, and this could impact climate forecastsClick here to access the study.

Desert dust acts as a thermal blanket and can heat the Earth twice as much as models estimated.

A new study led by the University of California, Los Angeles, indicates that dust suspended in the atmosphere, especially that coming from arid regions like the Sahara and Gobi, may account for about 10% of the warming caused by CO₂ emitted by human activities.

Thermal blanket alters view on atmospheric dust

Larger particles play a central role in warming

Human activity has expanded dust sources

Impacts reach rain, water, and agriculture

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Thermal blanket alters view on atmospheric dust

Larger particles play a central role in warming

Human activity has expanded dust sources

Impacts reach rain, water, and agriculture

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