West African Sandstorm spreads over the Atlantic

A huge dust formation blew off the western coast of Africa near the Cape Verde islands in the Atlantic on October 8th, 2012. NASA's aqua satellite captured this image during the second consecutive day of the dust storm. There are large amounts of sand seas spreading across many West African countries such as Mauritania, Western Sahara, and others that neighbor them. This Saharan air layer commonly forms over the region between late spring and early fall bringing the dust westward across the Atlantic Ocean. One major problem with dust storms moving across the Atlantic to the Carribean is that they are linked with coral declines. However, the Amazon and Carribean islands benefit from these regular dustings as it provides soils to the ground. For people in southern Florida, the dust can cause problems for some people with breathing. It is advised that people with respiratory problems should take precautions before going outside. There is not a method to prevent this natural hazard from occurring, but warn people about the health problems associated with it.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=79358