Teleconnection of Sahara to Mediterranean Basin evidenced by consecutive dust storms

Abstract. Saharan Dust Outbreaks frequently hit the Mediterranean Basin, lasting for a few days. These phenomena have various implications for the ecosystem of the entire basin, affecting the atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and cryosphere. Moreover, they cause numerous hazards to human society, especially concerning the environment and health, and are particularly significant to people living in a “Dust Belt” around Sahara, including nearby areas such as the Mediterranean Basin. This study demonstrates that continuous dust intrusions from the Sahara, transported across distant geographic regions, cannot be considered random events; rather, they show long-range correlations for timescales shorter than 80 days. This behaviour generates a persistent and recurrent atmospheric pattern at inter-annual time scales and synoptic spatial scales, thus opening a new perspective for climate studies and evidencing a new kind of teleconnection between North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin.