Abstract
Dustfall is a major threat to agricultural and industrial infrastructures, as well as to other aspects of livelihood. Dustfall associated to a severe dust storm that hit the Al-Ahsa Oasis of Saudi Arabia during 12-13 March 2014 is discussed in this paper. The storm caused widespread and heavy dust deposition. A dramatic decrease in the visibility coincided with the storm, and the average dust concentrations recorded during a peak 10-hour period were 6772, 5862.4 and 451.1 μg/m3 for total suspended particles (TSP), particulate matter smaller than or equal to 10 μm (PM10) and those smaller than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5), respectively. The lowest visibility was 200 m, and the wind speed increased to 17.5 m/s from the north. The average daily dust deposited in the study area during the event was 12.84 (SD = 1.2) g/(m2?d). The dust samples comprised insoluble dust (48.5%) and soluble dust (51.5%). Based on the Munsell color system, the final color description of the falling dust was 10 YR/6/3. A microphotograph of the dustfall (settleable particulate matter) captured by a stereo dissection microscope shows that the dust particles had various colors and sizes, and they contained fibers and vegetative debris).
Highlights
Dustfall is hazardous to human health and ecosystems, and it negatively impacts many industrial products and activities
Dust particles frequently act as surfaces for gaseous species reactions and for atmospheric gas/particle reactions related to nitrogen and sulfur cycles and acid/base balances; these particles are a source for a number of trace substances, and secondary particulate matter (PM) may greatly increase when dust particles are present in the atmosphere [1] [2]
The dust storm originated over the northern parts of Saudi Arabia near Kuwait and southern Iraq
Summary
Dustfall is hazardous to human health and ecosystems, and it negatively impacts many industrial products and activities. Transport patterns and their impacts on the global environment have at-. How to cite this paper: Almuhanna, E.A. (2015) Dustfall Associated with Dust Storms in the Al-Ahsa Oasis of Saudi Arabia. Almuhanna tracted attention in recent decades [3]. A dust storm is a physical phenomenon associated with suitable meteorological conditions over arid and semi-arid regions, and it is generated when a gust front passes over or when the wind force exceeds the threshold value above which loose sand and dust are removed from the dry [5] [6]. The residence time of dust particles depends on the dust particle size, meteorological conditions, wind speed and precipitation that favor dry and wet deposition [7]
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