Latest Dust storm Stories

A new study reported Thursday finds that lessening airborne dust has caused a rapid warming of the tropical North Atlantic in recent decades.The sun-dimming dust, blown in from sandstorms in the Sahara or caused by volcanic eruptions, reflects a portion of the sun's rays back into space.  This decline in dust was responsible for 70 percent of the warming in the Atlantic since the early 1980s, according to the study."Since 1980 tropical North Atlantic Ocean temperatures have been...

NASA satellite data can improve forecasts of dust storms in the American Southwest in ways that can benefit public health managers. Scientists announced the finding as a five-year NASA-funded project nears its conclusion.Led by investigators Stanley Morain of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and William Sprigg of the University of Arizona in Tucson, scientists evaluated the influence of space-based observations on predictions of dust storms. Using NASA satellite data, forecasters...

A five-year U.S. space agency study shows NASA satellite data can improve dust storm forecasts in the U.S. Southwest to benefit public health managers. Led by investigators Stanley Morain of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and William Sprigg of the University of Arizona in Tucson, scientists evaluated the influence of space-based observations on predictions of dust storms. Using National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellite data, the study found forecasters could more...

By Docksai, Rick A layer of dust won't complement your bookshelf, but its presence may be a sign of good news about future hurricanes. The 2008 hurricane season was milder due to the increased presence of dust clouds over the Atlantic Ocean, according to Amato Evan, a researcher for the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. "If those dust storms continue to intensify, that would certainly help to quell this period of intense hurricane...

A new mathematical model indicates that dust devils, water spouts, tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones are all born of the same mechanism and will intensify as climate change warms the Earth's surface.The new equation, developed by University of Michigan atmospheric and planetary scientist Nilton Renno, could allow scientists to more accurately calculate the maximum expected intensity of a spiraling storm based on the depth of the troposphere and the temperature and humidity of the air in the...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- New observations from NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander provide the most magnified view ever seen of Martian soil, showing particles clumping together even at the smallest visible scale. In the past two days, two instruments on the lander deck -- a microscope and a bake-and-sniff analyzer -- have begun inspecting soil samples delivered by the scoop on Phoenix's Robotic Arm. "This is the first time since the Viking missions three decades ago that a sample is being studied inside...

The Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s was arguably one of the worst environmental disasters of the 20th century. New computer simulations reveal the whipped-up dust is what made the drought so severe. Scientists have known that poor land use and natural atmospheric conditions led to the rip-roaring dust storms in the Great Plains in the 1930s. Climate models in the past few years also have revealed the effect of sea surface temperatures on the Dust Bowl. "What is new and...

A team of scientists are set on finding out how sand from the Sahara Desert is affecting marine life, as well as learning more about the ocean's ability to soak up the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.The researchers encountered two large sand storms during their cruise and recorded footage for BBC News.Eric Achterberg, principal scientist for the Natural Environment Research Council (Nerc) funded Solas (Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study) expedition, said he was relieved to have encountered...

This summer, Mars suffered a titanic dust storm that engulfed the entire planet. The dust storm contributed to a temporary warming effect around Mars, which raised the temperature of the atmosphere by around 20-30°C.However, the surface temperature of the planet itself dropped. Imagine a dust cloud on Earth that started in the Sahara desert and grew to encompass our whole planet. Such a catastrophe would block sunlight from reaching the surface and plunge us into twilight for months. It...

The United Nation's World Meteorological Organization, or WMO, is launching an early warning system that can help Arizona and other states minimize hazards from intercontinental sand and dust storms. A University of Arizona research professor is leading the international team drafting the U.N. plan which will begin operation early next year.Storms generated in arid parts of the world can deposit thousands of tons of airborne sand and dust on cities and over continents. It exposes populations...