Smoke from European fires reaches the eastern Mediterranean in the upper atmosphere... What does this mean?

Arab Weather - The latest satellite images and smoke tracking model outputs indicate that quantities of smoke resulting from the extensive forest fires that broke out in a number of European countries, which were fueled by the historic heat wave, are moving towards the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea, due to the prevailing air currents in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Experts at the Arab Weather Center confirm that this smoke moves at very high altitudes in the atmosphere, that is, at high levels far from the Earth's surface, which means that it is not expected to have any significant impact on air quality or on the health of the population, as it does not concentrate within the layer close to the Earth's surface from which humans breathe.

But what might we notice in the sky?

Although smoke does not affect air quality, the presence of very fine particles of smoke and aerosols in the upper atmosphere may lead to the appearance of fine fog lines or layers on the western horizon at sunset, and the sky may appear to contain light bands extending horizontally above the horizon.

This is because the sun's rays at sunset travel a longer distance within the atmosphere, which increases their interaction with the fine particles suspended in the upper layers. These particles are then reflected visually in the form of thin smoke layers or lines that can be observed with the naked eye, especially in clear skies.

A natural optical phenomenon that is nothing to worry about

This phenomenon is common in many parts of the world after large forest fires or volcanic eruptions, when fine particles travel long distances via upper air currents. In this case, their effect is primarily visual, while the air near the Earth's surface remains within its normal levels, unless these particles descend to lower layers, which is not expected based on current data.

Therefore, residents of the Levant and the eastern Mediterranean may notice, in the coming days, the appearance of light smoke lines or layers on the western horizon at sunset as a result of the passage of smoke in the upper layers of the atmosphere, without this meaning that there is a deterioration in air quality on the Earth’s surface.