NASA video shows how Sahara dust fertilizes the Amazon

Sahara Fertilizes Amazon

It is estimated that approximately 182,000 tons of Sahara dust cross across the Atlantic Ocean to reach America. Of this total, about 27.7 million tons of dust precipitate each year in the Amazon basin (Tom: How you get 27.7 million tons out of 182,000 tons beats me.), 0.08% corresponds to phosphorus (an important nutrient for plants), according to researchers at the University of Maryland (USA), which It is equivalent to 22,000 tons.

This amount of phosphorus, according to the study, is sufficient to meet the nutrient needs that the Amazon rainforest lost through heavy rains and floods in the region.