A wall of blowing sand and dust lifted by strong, turbulent winds, most common in arid and semi-arid regions where loose, dry soil offers little resistance. Visibility can drop to near zero within minutes as the leading edge sweeps across open desert or drought-stricken farmland. Large dust storms can loft material thousands of miles, as when Saharan dust regularly crosses the Atlantic to affect air quality in the Americas.
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Extended drought strips soil of moisture and vegetation cover, a major contributing cause of large dust storms, most famously during the 1930s Dust Bowl.
The Harmattan season in West Africa carries Saharan dust and is associated with a marked seasonal increase in dust storm and haze events across the region.
Demonstrated By
Strong winds crossing the sparsely vegetated sand ridges and clay pans of this desert raise large dust storms, a recurring feature of the Australian arid interior.
Shifting sands and sparse vegetation across the Karakum make it a frequent source of large dust storms over Central Asia.
The long parallel dune fields of the Simpson Desert are a frequent source of dust storms that sweep across central Australia.
Strong pre-monsoon winds across the sandy terrain of the Thar regularly raise dust storms that reach cities across northern India.
Sources
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