Sand and Dust Storms (SDS): Types, Characteristics, and Indications

Ali Al-Dousari,Noor Al-Dousari,Modi Ahmed,Ali Al Hamoud,D Altausen,J Hofer,S Abdullaev

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20199901010

Ali Al-Dousari, Noor Al-Dousari + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20199901010

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Abstract

Sand and dust storms (SDS) is a common weather phenomenon in the Middle East. Topography and the northern or northwesterly wind are the main control factors for types of SDS trajectories. The main SDS corridors in the Middle East were classified and spotted from March 2000 to March 2017. The SDS can be classified in the region in accordance to shape and magnitude into three main types namely; Small with 3 subtypes (Arrow shape-straight, Arrow shape-curved and Needle like), Intermediate with 3 subtypes (Curved, Hook and Straight), and Extensive with 6 subtypes (Spiral, Agglomerated-Dense, Agglomerated-Dispersed, Wavy, Hook-Single head, and Hook-multiple heads). Most of the trajectories are located within the northeastern parts of the Middle East. Dust properties led us to sort SDS and their indications. Dust deposits in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea and are initiated from Northern Desert of Africa (NDA). On the other hand, dust deposits in the Middle East originate from NDA, Western Desert of Iraq (WD), Mesopotamian Flood Plain (MFP), Ahwaz (HZ), Ahwar (HR) and Baluchistan Desert (BSH). The deposited dust in coastal areas is categorized as trimodal particle size distribution, finer mean size fractions with higher values of particles surface area and contains more carbonates and less quartz percentages compared to fallen dust in inland regions which is dominantly initiated from Western Desert of Iraq (WD), Nafud Desert (NFD) and Empty Quarter (EQ)..

Highlights

Sand and dust storms (SDS) are a common phenomena in the Middle East region [‎1, ‎2]
The wide SDS dominantly originated at the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula and normally originated from Nafud Desert (NFD), East Syria and south Turkey, the Mesopotamian Flood Plain (MFP), Western Desert of Iraq (WD) and the Ahwaz (HZ) or by the combination between multiple sources and each path has it is own fingerprint in the dust properties (Fig. 2)
The wide SDS dominantly originated at the southern part is majorly from the Empty Quarter desert (EQ)

Summary

Introduction

Sand and dust storms (SDS) are a common phenomena in the Middle East region [‎1, ‎2]. The Middle East region is surrounded by a desert ecosystem characterized by active aeolian conditions [‎3-‎5]. The SDS has a huge socioeconomic effect mainly on the marine environment [‎6,‎7], human health [‎8], aviation and oil industry [‎9, ‎10]. The SDS passing over the region are considered to be major sources of sediments [‎11-14]. Al-Dousari [‎1] found evidence of local, regional and global sources contribution to dust throw in higher percentages of sand particles within dust contents. There is a need to put proper classification for SDS trajectories, and it is indications. This study aims to pass through the relation between climate and dust within the Middle East region

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