Dust storm

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A dust storm or sandstorm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions and arises when a gust front passes or when the wind force exceeds the threshold value where loose sand and dust are removed from the dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil erosion from one place and deposition in another. The Sahara and drylands around the Arabian peninsula are the main source of airborne dust, with some contributions from Iran, Pakistan and India into the Arabian Sea, and China's storms deposit dust in the Pacific. It has been argued that recently, poor management of the Earth's drylands, such as neglecting the fallow system, are increasing dust storms from desert margins and changing both the local and global climate, and also impacting local economies.

The term sandstorm is used most often in the context of desert sandstorms, especially in the Sahara, when, in addition to fine particles obscuring visibility, a considerable amount of larger sand particles are blown closer to the surface. The term dust storm is more likely to be used when finer particles are blown long distances, especially when the dust storm affects urban areas.

For more information about Dust storm, read the full article at Wikipedia.
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News tagged with dust storms


Texas A&M prof to predict weather on Mars

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 04, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Is there such a thing as "weather" on Mars? There are some doubts, considering the planet's atmosphere is only 1 percent as dense as that of the Earth. Mars, however, definitely has clouds, drastically low temperatures and ...





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Yellow dust blowing over Seoul

SKorea to plant trees in China to reduce 'yellow dust'

Space & Earth / Environment

created Nov 04, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The Seoul city government will help fund a tree-planting project in a Chinese desert to reduce the amount of harmful "yellow dust" blowing over South Korea, officials said Wednesday.


Climate change in Kuwait Bay

Climate change in Kuwait Bay

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created 4 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (8) | comments 0

Since 1985, seawater temperature in Kuwait Bay, northern Arabian Gulf, has increased on average 0.6°C per decade. This is about three times faster than the global average rate reported by the Intergovernmental ...


Artist concept of Stardust.

'Ultra-primitive' particles found in comet dust

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity 4.9 / 5 (9) | comments 2

Dust samples collected by high-flying aircraft in the upper atmosphere have yielded an unexpectedly rich trove of relicts from the ancient cosmos, report scientists from the Carnegie Institution. The stratospheric ...


El Nino Could Play A Role In Colorado's Winter Weather, Scientist Says

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 2 / 5 (1) | comments 2

(PhysOrg.com) -- El Nino, a warming event of the tropical Pacific Ocean that affects weather patterns in the United States and elsewhere, has strengthened in recent months and already appears to have influenced Colorado's ...


The Energy Sources of Ultraluminous Galaxies

The Energy Sources of Ultraluminous Galaxies

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 27, 2009 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (20) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Ultraluminous infrared galaxies ((ULIRGs) are galaxies whose luminosity exceeds that of a trillion suns; for comparison, the Milky Way galaxy has a typical (and much more modest) luminosity ...


NASA's GOES Project offers real-time hurricane alley movies

NASA's GOES Project offers real-time hurricane alley movies

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

People love to get the big picture of hurricane alleys, and thanks to the GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., they can now get real-time satellite animations of the eastern ...


Noise Evidence Could Expand Hurricane Record

Noise Evidence Could Expand Hurricane Record

Space & Earth / Earth Sciences

created Nov 10, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

As sea-surface temperatures rise across the globe, some scientists believe that hurricane frequency and intensity may increase. A fresh technique offers promise to generate new data from long-dead storms, ...


Barn personnel experience higher-than-average rates of respiratory symptoms

Medicine & Health / Health

created Nov 20, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

The estimated 4.6 million Americans involved in the equine industry may be at risk of developing respiratory symptoms due to poor air quality in horse barns, according to a questionnaire study undertaken earlier this year ...


Samsung launches a new vacuuming robot

Samsung launches a new vacuuming robot

Electronics / Consumer & Gadgets

created Nov 06, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (8) | comments 9

(PhysOrg.com) -- Samsung Electronics has launched its latest autonomous robot vacuum cleaner, the Tango, which is capable of vacuuming hardwood floors, carpets, and even beds without human assistance.


Unsettled Youth: Spitzer Observes a Chaotic Planetary System

Unsettled Youth: Spitzer Observes a Chaotic Planetary System

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 04, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (7) | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Before our planets found their way to the stable orbits they circle in today, they wiggled and jostled about like unsettled children. Now, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has found a young ...



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