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.
Mars, often depicted as a barren red planet, is far from lifeless. With its thin atmosphere and dusty surface, it is an energetic and electrically charged environment where dust storms and dust devils continually reshape ...
Planetary Sciences
Jan 8, 2026
1
89
Martian winds can have quite an impact. ESA's Mars Express has spotted them whipping up sand grains and acting as a cosmic sandblaster, carving out intriguing grooves near Mars's equator.
Planetary Sciences
Jan 7, 2026
0
39
Deep in Iraq's southern desert, bulldozers and earthmovers spread layers of moist clay over sand dunes as part of a broader effort to fight increasingly frequent sandstorms.
Environment
Dec 28, 2025
0
27
Dust storms regularly affect northern China, including its capital, Beijing. In recent years, Chinese scientists and officials have traced the source of the dust storms to its neighbor Mongolia.
Environment
Dec 17, 2025
0
26
Mars is a dusty planet dominated by vast, dry deserts, with no easily accessible sources of liquid water. Much like on Earth, dust is lifted from Mars's surface by wind and rotating air columns, transported through the atmosphere, ...
Space Exploration
Dec 17, 2025
0
35
Sometimes you get a small electric shock from touching your car door handle on a dry summer's day.
Planetary Sciences
Dec 8, 2025
0
30
On Mars, winds constantly stir up whirlwinds of fine dust. It was at the center of two of these dust devils that the SuperCam instrument's microphone, the first ever to operate on Mars, accidentally recorded particularly ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 26, 2025
2
177
Combing through 20 years of images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft, scientists have tracked 1,039 tornado-like whirlwinds to reveal how dust is lifted into the air and ...
Planetary Sciences
Oct 8, 2025
0
55
Slices from the edge of Mars reveal a layered atmosphere of delicate complexity. A European spacecraft has captured a luminous mille-feuille of dust enveloping the red planet in unprecedented detail.
Space Exploration
Sep 29, 2025
0
46
A massive wall of dust swept through Phoenix, plunging the southwest US city into near-total darkness, grounding flights, forcing motorists off the road and cutting power to thousands.
Environment
Aug 26, 2025
0
27
