Analysis of a Dust Storm Profile: A Case Study in Iraq

Abstract

In recent years, many academics have investigated various aspects of dust storms as one of the environmental challenges. In this study, a Battelle laser photometer coupled to a portable computer was used to monitor, analyze, and correlate the particle size distribution to wind speed across a 24-hour period that included the dust storm from January 18–19, 2020. These were connected with wind speed data obtained from an automated weather station (F.A. 511, Wilh Lambrecht). They also examined how the ratio of fibers to particles varied when the wind speed changed during a dust storm within the same period as the aforementioned. The results show that, during storms, a rise in the number of particles occurs as a consequence of high wind speeds, local near-ground turbulence, and strong wind, which work together to effectively lift up heavier particles. Also, it demonstrates a perfect relationship between the profiles of dust particles and fibers with a time lag in relation to wind speed, and an inversion in the order of the individual particle size profiles corresponding to a critical wind speed was noticed. A time lag of around five hours relative to the wind speed profile is also observed. Despite the similar shapes and the trend of the profiles, the ratio of fiber to particle is not constant.