Evaluation of the electrical properties of dust storms by multi-parameter observations and theoretical calculations

Abstract

Dusty phenomena, such as wind-blown sand, dust devils, and dust storms, play key roles in Earth's climate and geological processes. Dust electrification considerably affects the lifting and transport of dust particles. However, the electrical properties of dust storms remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted multi-parameter measurements and theoretical calculations to investigate the electrical properties of dust storms and their application to dust storm prediction. The results show that the vertical electric field (E-field) decreases first, then increases, and finally decreases with the height above the ground, reversing its direction at two heights, ∼8–12 and ∼24 m. This suggests that the charge polarity of dust particles changes from negative to positive and back to negative again as the height increases. By carefully analyzing the E-field and dust concentration data, we further found that there is a significant positive linear relationship between the measured E-field intensity and dust concentration at the given ambient conditions. In addition, measurements and calculations demonstrate that a substantial enhancement in the vertical E-field can be observed several hours before the arrival of the external-source dust storms, indicating that the E-field can be used to provide an early warning of external-source dust storms.