Background: During mid-summer (July in the northern hemisphere), the westward-moving trade winds south of the northward-moving subtropical ridge expand northwestward from the Caribbean into southeastern North America. When dust from the Sahara moving around the southern periphery of the ridge within the belt of trade winds moves over land, rainfall is suppressed and the sky changes from a blue to a white appearance, which leads to an increase in red sunsets. Its presence negatively impacts air quality by adding to the count of airborne particulates. Over 50% of the African dust that reaches the United States affects Florida. Since 1970, dust outbreaks have worsened because of periods of drought in Africa. There is a large variability in the dust transport to the Caribbean and Florida from year to year. Dust events have been linked to a decline in the health of coral reefs across the Caribbean and Florida, primarily since the 1970s. Similar dust plumes originate in the Gobi Desert, which combined with pollutants, spread large distances downwind, or eastward, into North America.There are local names for winds associated with sand and dust storms. The Calima carries dust on southeast winds into the Canary islands. The Harmattan carries dust during the winter into the Gulf of Guinea. The Sirocco brings dust from north Africa into southern Europe because of the movement of extratropical cyclones through the Mediterranean. Spring storm systems moving across the eastern Mediterranean Sea cause dust to carry across Egypt and the Arabian peninsula, which are locally known as Khamsin. The Shamal is caused by cold fronts lifting dust into the atmosphere for days at a time across the Persian Gulf states.

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city will see less rainfall?
Answer: Malarn

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city will see more rainfall?
Answer: Trainlan

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city's sky will regularly change from blue to white?
Answer: Malarn

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city's sky will not regularly change from blue to white?
Answer: Trainlan

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Are the coral reefs near Malarn more or less healthy than the reefs near Trainlan?
Answer: less

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Are the coral reefs near Trainlan more or less healthy than the reefs near Malarn?
Answer: more

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city is better for Jennifer's health?
Answer: Trainlan

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Which city is worse for Jennifer's health?
Answer: Malarn

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Would Jennifer see more or less sunsets in Trainlan?
Answer: less

Situation: Jennifer is looking to move to a new city. She has always wanted to live in a coastal town, and she has narrowed her options down to two. She is looking to live in either Malarn or Trainlan. Malarn is known for its peppersteaks and its active nightlife. Malarn also regularly gets a large amount of dust in the air from a desert located across the ocean. Trainlan has a very famous art museum in its city, and being an art fanatic, that greatly appeals to Jennifer. She is planning to take a trip to both cities sometime in the near future to see them in person before making her decision.

Question: Would Jennifer see more or less sunsets in Malarn?
Answer: more