A veil of sand is in the process of inviting itself over our mountains. You have probably noticed it. Since Monday, March 14, an episode of dust from the Sahara has been suspended in the sky, which gives it this yellow color. The phenomenon, which first affected Spain, then went up to the Pyrenees before reaching the North and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
This phenomenon is not exceptional, it can occur at any time of the year, especially in autumn or spring. But it remains problematic for our glaciers. Because this sandy dust accelerates the melting of the ice. “This red color absorbs more sunlight than white, so it increases the effect of global warming,” Explain Marie-Pierre Vagnot from the ATMO observatory which measures the air quality in the region.
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“If, for example, there were to be a lot of Saharan episodes on a glacier, that will make it melt faster, as we know that the glacier is not regenerated 100% every year, since we are in global warming will make it disappear faster.” However, she points out that “This dust is very good for the soil because it brings minerals, and farmers are sometimes happy with it”.
But at altitude, “the plume of desert dust from the Sahara not only colors the snowpack, but also affects its stability, by reducing its albedo (reflective power of a surface, editor’s note), thus increasing its ability to store heat , which increases the spontaneous risk of avalanche”also explains on TwitterGaétan Heymes forecasting engineer and snow scientist at Meteo France.
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