How do sand and dust storms affect the weather
Arab weather - sandstorms are formed as a result of several factors, including the absence of vegetation cover and drought as in desert environments, so strong surface winds stir dust and dust and carry sand with them into the atmosphere, and then the atmospheric dust may remain stuck in the air for several days, depending on the prevailing weather conditions But what aspects of sand and dust storms can affect the weather?
The difference between a sandstorm and a dust storm
- Sandstorm : The term sandstorm is used most often when talking about desert sandstorms , especially in the Sahara and the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, or places where sand culture is prevalent, so that the winds carry a large amount of sand particles that fly near the surface, in addition to fine particles suspended in the air that obscure vision.
- Dust storm : The term dust storm is used when fine particles fly and spread over long distances, affecting urban areas.
Effects of sand and dust storms on the weather
Effect on clouds and precipitation:
Dust particles act as condensation nuclei for the formation of warm clouds, and as nuclei for the formation of ice in cold clouds. The ability of dust particles to act in this way depends on their size, shape and composition, which in turn depends on the nature of the original soil from which they came and transportation processes.
This modification in the composition of clouds and the particles they contain changes their ability to absorb solar radiation, which indirectly affects the energy that reaches the Earth's surface, and due to the effect of dust particles also on the growth of cloud droplets and ice crystals, the amount of precipitation and the location of precipitation are affected.
Effect on air temperature:
Airborne dust works in a similar way to the greenhouse effect, absorbing and scattering solar radiation that enters the atmosphere, reducing the amount that reaches the Earth's surface, and absorbing long-wave radiation that bounces off the surface, scattering it in all directions.
The ability of dust particles to absorb solar radiation depends on the size, shape, mineral and chemical composition of the particles, as well as on the vertical distribution of dust in the air and the properties of the subsurface.
Impact on hurricanes:
Dry sand and dust storms absorb moisture and change winds, which weakens small hurricanes before they get bigger. An example of this is sandstorms from the Sahara Desert that affect hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.
Where the desert dust, also known as the Desert Air Layer ( SAL ), prevents tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the desert air layer is warm, dry and dusty air coming from the Sahara Desert in Africa, as these dust waves move off the west coast of Africa during the summer months, especially , and moves with the prevailing easterly winds to North America.
Hurricanes need deep tropical moisture to form, and get their energy from the warmth of the ocean. The warmer the water, the more energy is available and the greater the chance of hurricane formation. However, sand and dust storms absorb some of the sunlight and reflect some of it, and only allow a part of the sun's rays to pass to the surface of the ocean, and this leads to the surface of the water and the air above it remaining cool under the warm dust layer, which stabilizes the atmosphere and prevents the formation of hurricanes.
In addition, the prevailing winds that carry the desert air layer across the Atlantic are relatively strong, these winds in the intermediate levels of the atmosphere create wind shear, which hinders the development of tropical systems.
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