Millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region -- by flying
Monday, August 9, 2010 - 22:35
in Astronomy & Space
Every day, millions of microorganisms reach Spain from the Sahara Desert and the Sahel region -- by flying. Louis Pasteur demonstrated back in 1861 that germs can move through the air, but it was only recently discovered that bacteria, fungi and viruses can travel thousands of kilometers stuck onto dust particles. Satellite images show clouds that come close to the size of the Iberian Peninsula.