LARHYSS Journal
Volume 19, Numéro 3, Pages 79-102
2022-09-28

Sahara Dust Nourishes The Soil - Role Of Floods In The Fertilization Of Palm Groves

Authors : Remini Boualem .

Abstract

This article addresses a very particular meteorological phenomenon. This is the diffusion of desert dust from the Sahara into the atmosphere. Based on satellite images taken by NASA during the period 2001-2021, the Sahara desert sends millions of tons of fine particles out of its territory every year. Thus, during the period from June 4 to July 14, 2020, dust from the Sahara flowed over more than 12,000 km to reach Florida in the United States of America. The Sahara exported a quantity of fine sand from March 25 to 29, 2022 to Europe and more particularly to countries such as France, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Despite the problems they cause, such as air pollution, health and the environment, Saharan dust is a very good natural fertilizer. In the Algerian Sahara, for centuries, farmers have exploited the floods drained by the River to feed the soils of the palm groves. With each flood, millions of tons of dust and nutrients are picked up by runoff. This water loaded with fine particles is shared between the farmers by an engineering hydraulic system. The relationship between the Amazonian forest and the Sahara Desert is a good example to justify the contribution of these fine particles to the soil.

Keywords

Dust ; Flood ; Oasis ; Palm Grove ; Sahara ; Soil fertilization