Images show the island in a yellowish hue after southerly winds transferred the dust from the Sahara Desert in Africa. The veil of dust meant the island was surrounded by hazy orange skies for the day, making the location look like somewhere from another world.
The mass of dusty and very dry air forms over the Sahara Desert from late spring into early fall and is known as the Saharan air layer. Plumes of dust typically move off the African coast every three to five days during this time. The Saharan air layer is usually located 5,000 to 20,000 feet above the Earth’s surface and travels due to strong winds.
The dust usually presents high concentrations of lead, zinc, chromium and vanadium and has been associated with health problems in the Greek population.
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