LJUBLJANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Initial findings of an environmental expedition by the Slovenian adventure pilot Matevz Lenarcic have confirmed the harmful effect Saharan dust has on glaciers in the Alps.
This scientific outcome was announced by Lenarcic's Green Light World Flight team on Monday, Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported.
Lenarcic and pilot Domen Grauf collected data in the latest flight of the expedition aimed at determining the effect of black carbon and Saharan dust in the Mediterranean and the Alps.
In the latest stage of the mission, the two pilots collected data about airborne polluters between the Slovenian town of Slovenske Konjice and Romania's Bucharest via the Mt. Glossglockner in Austria and the town of Prievidza in Slovakia.
According Grisa Mocnik and Luka Drinovec of Aerosol, who made the initial analysis, the collected data confirms that the Saharan dust can travel thousands of kilometres and lands on glaciers which melt faster because of the colouring.
A more detailed analysis will be carried out in the coming months and compared to data from weather stations Sonnblick in Austria and Jungfrau in Switzerland.
Lenarcic is currently in Slovenia, said the STA, waiting for favourable weather conditions to embark on a flight above central and western Alps.
