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There’s a geologic cycle that connects most of our planet—the oceans, forests, deserts, poles, and atmosphere—but often gets swept under the rug: dust. Circulating above our heads is a global dust belt, and some of its key jobs include fertilizing the Amazon rainforest, regulating temperatures, and influencing rainfall.
Flora sifts through the dusty details with atmospheric scientists Cassandra Gaston and Amato Evan. They chat about the enormity of the global dust cycle, the unsung contributions of dust, and how we can better coexist with it.
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Segment Guests
Amato Evan
Dr. Amato Evan is an atmospheric scientist and professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Cassandra Gaston
Dr. Cassandra Gaston is an atmospheric scientist and professor at the University of Miami.
Segment Transcript
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About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
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Rasha Aridi is a producer for Science Friday and the inaugural Outrider/Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellow. She loves stories about weird critters, science adventures, and the intersection of science and history.