Page 170 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

CHOKING

DUST CLOUD

DUST STORM

In regions with very dry climates, strong winds can
pick up fine particles of dry soil, hurling them high
in the air in vast, wind-blown dust clouds. In the deserts
of Arabia and North Africa, these events are often called
sandstorms, but sand grains are too heavy to be lifted
very high off the ground; most of the cloud is made of
fine dust that blocks out the sunlight. A dust storm can
strip soil from the ground, destroying valuable farmland,
and if the cloud descends on inhabited places, it can
have deadly effects as people choke on the dust–filled air.

LAND OF DUST

In eastern China, an area the
size of France is covered with
an immense depth of fine yellow
sediment called loess. It was
blown there by huge dust storms
in the distant past, and is the
source of frequent dust storms
now. It is also carried away by
water, and this yellow-tinted
water feeds China’s Yellow River.

STATS AND FACTS

DUST WALL The wall of dust RISING DUST Dust can rise
EXTREME WEATHER Arabia, but they WIND SPEED up to 1 mile DUST HAZARD
Dust storms are
most frequent in
created by a dust
to heights of
North Africa and
1.9 miles (3 km),
storm may be
and be blown
(1.6 km) high.
around the world.
may also occur
in Australia, China,
and even in the
North American
Some dust
prairies.
Some parts of
North Africa
storms involve
suffer 80 or
wind speeds of
storms a year.
(100 km/h).
168 up to 60 mph more dust
US_168-169_Dust_Storm.indd 168 01/03/17 1:39 pm