Dust from deserts, ash from volcanoes, smoke from wildfires, and airborne particles from other related sources can greatly influence the health of our planet and the people living on it. Desert dust is believed to benefit the ecology of the Amazon rainforest and oceans, but can also damage crops. Thin layers of ash can aid agriculture as well, but it is largely considered a hazard for breathing and health, aviation, natural habits, human infrastructure, and more. Likewise, wildfire smoke endangers cardiovascular health, reduces visibility, and can contain toxins. Individually and collectively, dust, ash, and smoke can all affect weather and climate by warming or cooling Earth.

NASA has many powerful platforms analyzing airborne particles and producing datasets measuring dust, ash, and smoke in the atmosphere. Learn more about near real-time ash plume, dust storm, and smoke plume data provided by NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).