This episode’s vocabulary
Particulate
noun — an extremely small piece of dirt, especially one produced by road vehicles, that causes pollution.
Matter
noun — a substance of a particular kind.
Anthropogenic
adj. — caused by humans or their activities.
Phenomenon
noun — something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something unusual or interesting.
To hurl
verb — to throw something with a lot of force, usually in an angry or violent way.
Aircraft
noun — any vehicle, with or without an engine, that can fly, such as a plane or helicopter
Particle
noun — an extremely small piece of something such as dust, dirt, or sand.
Dust storm
noun — a mass of dust and sand that has been lifted from the ground in very dry areas such as deserts and that is carried by the wind.
Visibility
noun — how clearly objects can be seen, or how far you can see clearly, usually because of the weather conditions.
Build-up
noun — an increase in the amount of something over a period of time.
Swirl
noun — the act of moving quickly with a twisting, circular movement, or something that moves in this way.
Dust devil
noun — a small atmospheric vortex appearing in clear, dry conditions, made visible by swirling dust picked up from the ground.
Desertification
noun — the process by which land changes into desert, for example because there has been too much farming activity on it or because a lot of trees have been cut down.
Instance
noun — a particular situation, event, or fact, especially an example of something that happens generally.
Questions and answers
Well, if scientists are to be believed then the air we breathe is polluted all the time by various industrial chemicals and particulate matter from human life. However, not all pollution has to be anthropogenic. Can you tell that I studied environmental science at university, yet? There is a very unusual atmospheric phenomenon in West Africa called the Harmattan. Which is caused by massive amounts of dust being hurled into the air by windstorms. I first observed it when I lived in Ghana in early 2015, right at the start of my career as an English teacher. Apparently, or at least according to the locals, it's a seasonal thing and it isn't unique to Ghana. Lots of countries in West Africa experience it. Generally, it's not a serious problem and it can be predicted with some accuracy. However, it can prevent planes and other aircraft from flying due to the number of dust particles in the air that can cause engine damage. It also contributes to dust storms. That can reduce visibility and cause build-ups and machinery that reduce their functioning, at least until they are cleared out. You would imagine that all of this would make being around it or caught up in it quite terrifying. But actually, when viewed from a safe distance or at least from reasonable shelter, I thought it was quite mysterious and beautiful, to be honest with you. I would sit and watch the swirls and dust devils for ages. It was absolutely fascinating. In the evenings, the dust would be caught by the sun and turn the sky red. It was absolutely amazing to watch. At least, it was amazing to watch where I lived, which was the north of Ghana. I don't know how it would work in the south with the increased humidity from the ocean. But at the very least, where I was it was pretty great view. And I'd definitely recommend it to anybody, if they got the chance to see it, then they should. If I hadn't lived in Ghana, I doubt I never would have heard of this kind of thing, to be honest. It's almost entirely natural. Just not very well known. Though, I suppose, increasing desertification will have an impact on the size of each instance. Like I said, it makes for quite a sight and you should definitely take the opportunity to see it if you can.
And have you told your friends about this place?
I've told them about Ghana, not the Harmattan that they'd be interested. -