Dust storm

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A dust storm is a meteorological phenomenon common on the Great Plains of North America, Arabia, in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, the Taklamakan Desert of northwest China, the Sahara Desert of northern Africa, and other arid and semi-arid regions. Severe dust storms can reduce visibility to zero, making travel impossible, and can blow away valuable topsoil. Drought and, of course, wind contribute to the emergence of dust storms, as do poor farming and grazing practices. The dust picked up in such a storm can be carried thousands of kilometers: Sahara dust storms influence plankton growth in the western Atlantic Ocean.

Dust storms on Mars last longer, and cover larger areas, than on Earth: some of these storms cover the entire planet and last for hundreds of days.

Dust storms can often be observed from satellite photos and can often be viewed on the Internet.

See also: Dust Bowl

• News Video of a Dust Storm in Lubbock, Texas on February 20, 2004 (warning - this is 51 mb).