Solar farms could do more than generate clean energy—they could also cut dust pollution
Solar farms built around China's Gobi Desert could have the unexpected benefit of reducing the dust pollution reaching cities across northern China.
Research news on dust storms
Dust storms are atmospheric phenomena in which strong winds entrain and transport large quantities of loose, fine-grained mineral particles (primarily silt- and clay-sized) from arid or semi-arid surfaces into the boundary layer and sometimes higher troposphere. They are driven by pressure gradients associated with synoptic systems, convective outflows, or frontal passages, and are characterized by reduced visibility, intense horizontal fluxes of particulate matter, and strong size-selective sorting. Research on dust storms examines their emission thresholds, aerodynamic entrainment mechanisms (saltation and suspension), radiative and microphysical impacts on climate, nutrient and contaminant redistribution, and implications for atmospheric chemistry and human and ecosystem health.
Red skies, lost solar power: Why Australia must prepare for more dust storms
Imagine you wake up one morning and look out your window. You see a red sky, hear a ferocious blast of wind and watch as tree branches creak and crack. No, the apocalypse has not descended on your local neighborhood. You've ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 14, 2026
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Mars's 2018 planetwide dust storm hints at possible solar influence on its weather
Solar storms may affect weather on Mars when they strike at the same time as major Martian dust storms, a new study suggests for the first time. Researchers found evidence of rising temperatures in the red planet's lower ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 21, 2026
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Dust in the wind: intense storms struck China, US in 2025, says UN
China and the southern United States were hit last year by some of their worst sand and dust storms in decades, the United Nations said Friday.
Environment
Jul 10, 2026
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Mars express captures dozens of dust devils in Mars valley
Dust devils are a regular feature on Mars. Just like those found on Earth, these mini whirlwinds form when parts of Mars are warmed by the sun, causing air above the surface to swirl upward and carry dust with it. But in ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 5, 2026
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Beyond the dust: Families describe daily health challenges near the Salton Sea
A study examining air quality and respiratory health in communities surrounding the Salton Sea in Southern California shows how environmental conditions, poor housing quality and structural inequities combine to place children ...
Environment
Jul 2, 2026
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Martian dust storms may generate atmospheric electrical conditions that could impact future missions
A new study by a doctoral researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), part of The University of Alabama System, suggests global dust storms on Mars may organize the Martian atmosphere into regions favorable ...
Space Exploration
Jul 1, 2026
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Five years of aerosol remote sensing in Mindelo—a milestone in atmospheric research in the Atlantic
For five years now, a distinctive green laser beam has been shining at night up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) above the harbor of the island's capital. It forms part of a high-energy lidar with which the Leibniz Institute for ...
Environment
Jun 24, 2026
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Climate change is altering Saharan dust—and Europe is downwind
In recent years, residents of Spain, France and the UK have looked up to see an eerie sight: deep orange sunrises and skies thick with a yellowish haze. These hazy skies often deposit "blood rain," rust-colored precipitation ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 29, 2026
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Satellite-driven model provides 'more realistic and reliable' predictions of sand and dust storm emissions
The technology used to predict sand and dust storm (SDS) severity has for decades systematically overestimated when and where sediment is transported across Earth's surface, a new study shows. Existing models, which draw ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 24, 2026
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