In the Sahara Desert, dust dominates. From Morocco to Sudan, strong winds continuously pick up dust from the desert floor and loft it into the air, decreasing air quality and exacerbating health problems for millions of people. However, this very same dust that is a detriment to the people of the Sahara is a crucial component to human and ecosystem health in Amazonia. Why and how does this happen? There's something very special lurking in that dust. 

Atmospheric circulation is an important component of Earth’s climate. It transports heat and water across the globe, thereby ensuring that climate remains relatively constant throughout the years. Even small disruptions to this system could cause large, and possibly dangerous consequences. Why are rainforestes and deserts distributed in ordered arrays around the world? Hadley cells.

In the midst of a New England winter you would be hard-pressed to find anyone that hasn’t fantasized about exchanging the frigid temperatures of March for the tropical weather of Hawaii. The Aloha State is known for being a vacation hot spot around this time of the year, but did you know that it’s also a famous geologic “hot spot” as well?