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.
Windstorms can seem like they come out of nowhere, hitting with a sudden blast. They might be hundreds of miles long, stretching over several states, or just in your neighborhood.
Environment
Mar 20, 2025
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Every Martian year (which last 686.98 Earth days), the red planet experiences regional dust storms that coincide with summer in the southern hemisphere. Every three Martian years (five and a half Earth years), these storms ...
Space Exploration
Feb 20, 2025
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NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) caught a glimpse of the agency's retired InSight lander recently, documenting the accumulation of dust on the spacecraft's solar panels. In the new image taken Oct. 23 by MRO's High-Resolution ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 16, 2024
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In a new study, planetary scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have begun to unravel the factors that kick off major dust storms on Mars—weather events that sometimes engulf the entire planet in swirling grit. ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 9, 2024
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