Recently NASA released a mesmerizing video of the movement of aerosols around the globe. You can watch the video and read a brief description here at onEarth.org.
Aerosols can occur naturally (sea salt particles, pollen) but many are caused by burning of forests or output from manufacturing. On the video you can see how aerosols move around the world under atmospheric weather patterns, carrying air pollution from one area to another. Locally, aerosols can increase rainfall downwind of cities; regionally, sand blowing off of the Sahara Desert can reduce hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
In the video, you can see local burning activity (red dots) as well as sources of larger-scale pollution. You can also see local winds, hurricanes, and extratropical cyclones. To me, the most remarkable thing about the video is the sheer beauty of the movement of air around the world. We are all connected by the atmospheric river.
