SANDSTORMS

(Picture)

Brian Nysenbaum

Geology 115

2^nd Credit

5/8/03

“Sandstorm Becomes Sandblaster To Troops”[i]

The message raced up the battalion like an enemy telegram: “An enemy company is three miles south.” Pfc. Conan Doyle rushed 30 feet to the edge of his unit’s territory, dropped to the ground and lay ready to fire his M-16 rifle, wishing one thing: Please let there be mines out there. A blinding sandstorm was shrouding the desert in front of Doyle and other prone soldiers in a swirling cloud of beige. An enemy attacker 50 feet away would be a cipher. And even if Doyle opened fire, pelting and would probably jam his automatic rifle, turning it at best into a semi-automatic, requiring each round be loaded individually.

“It makes me nervous,” Doyle said yesterday as he spent two hours dusting the powdery sand out of his rifle with a blackened toothbrush and worn rag. A brown film covered his face…. “If it had t his much sand like I had in here,” Doyle said of his rifle, “it wouldn’t work.”

Inside a Black Hawk helicopter that weighed nine tons with its load, soldiers rocked and swayed as if they were in an airplane flying through turbulence. The helicopter was on the ground. “You can’t get away from it,” said warrant officer Phillip Cantrell, a 3^rd Infantry pilot. “You can’t do anything. Everything is filled with sand.”

The wind speed and lack of visibility kept some army helicopters grounded for a second day yesterday, though military commanders said that did not hinder ground attacks. The sand wears down helicopters by seeping into engines and scouring the shell and rotor blades and it wears down soldiers by keeping them immobile.

This story is just one example of the drastic effect that sandstorms had on our troops in Iraq during the recently ended war. At certain times in the war, it almost seemed as if our troops were fighting the sand more than Saddam Hussein. Even now that the armed conflict has been declared over, there are still thousands and thousands of soldiers in Iraq who encounter these unpleasant conditions. With the safety and lives of all these Americans on the line, it goes without saying that we should be interested and concerned about sandstorms.

(Picture)

1. What is a sandstorm?

2. Where do sandstorms occur?

3. Can we predict sandstorms?

4. Can we control sandstorms?

5. What do I do if I get caught in a sandstorm?

6. Works Cited

1. What is a sandstorm?

A sandstorm is a strong dry wind blowing over the desert that raises and carries along clouds of sand or dust often so dense as to obscure the sun and reduce visibility almost to zero; also known as a duststorm. Such a wind is usually the result of convection currents created by intense heating of the ground. The wind is strong enough to move dunes, and it often interferes with travel, sometimes obliterating roads in flat dry regions such as those of the W United States. The simoom (or simoon) is the dust- and sand-laden desert wind of N Africa and Arabia that contributes largely to the atmospheric dust over Europe; evidence of the dust from simoon winds has also been found on the seafloor at considerable distances from shore. The haboob is a sandstorm prevalent in the region of Sudan around Khartoum. Sandstorms, the leading edges of which often appear as solid walls of dust as much as 5,000 ft (1,525 m) high, also occur, although less frequently, in the SW United States. One that occurred near Tucson, Arizona, on July 16, 1971, was extensively documented by meteorologists. Similar duststorms from windborne particles are evident on the planet Mars and are thought to be seasonal[ii].

2. Where do sandstorms occur?

As a general rule of thumb, sandstorms occur in deserts all over the world. However, the magnitude of sandstorms that occur in the United States usually pale in comparison to those in other parts of the world such as the Middle East and China. In addition, it should be noted that sandstorms typically occur most frequently in spring.

It is impossible to give a complete list of where sandstorms occur because, to some extent, they can occur virtually anywhere. The main three geographic regions are the Middle East, Northern Africa, and Northern China. Here is a list of countries most typically associated with sandstorms because of their geography and climate:[iii]

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mongolia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan

Notice that the United States is not on the list. That is because, relatively speaking, sandstorms are a rare and minor occurrence in comparison to certain other natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Nevertheless, in the United States sandstorms occur in the southwest in states such as Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico and are frequent in Death Valley.

Earth is not the only planet with sandstorms! There is strong evidence that they also occur on Mars.

(PICTURE)

Areas Where Sandstorms Frequently Occur

1. Northern Africa

2. Middle East

3. Northern China

3. Can we predict sandstorms?

Although just a short while ago the answer to this question would have been no, recent improvements in technology have made forecasting sandstorms much easier. How good a country is at predicting is largely a product of their economic and scientific capability. For example, the United States is very efficient at forecasting the limited amount of sandstorms that occur. China, scientifically advanced in comparison to the other (i.e. Middle East, Northern Africa) regions with frequent sandstorms, has made great improvements in their ability to predict sandstorms.

In March of 2002, northern China experienced the worst sandstorms of the decade. However, they did not suffer great loss due to the warning provided by the accurate sandstorm forecast. China’s meteorological experts say the forecast, for the first time in domestic history, gave a precise prediction of the areas to be hit by sandstorms areas allowing sufficient time for protective measures. They were able to make a tentative forecast almost three days before the storm hit!

The accurate and early sandstorm forecast can be attributed to the mature satellite remote-sensing monitoring technology as well as to the accumulated experience of forecasters. This is done by a combination of orbiting meteorological satellites (with a scope of that is millions square kilometers!) and immobile satellites (smaller scope). Pictures from meteorological satellites can be transmitted to the ground within several minutes; this greatly helps with the analysis of sandstorm sources, movement and expansion[iv].

4. Can we control sandstorms?

Sandstorms are a natural phenomenon and cannot be completely controlled or eliminated. This is especially true in many of the Middle Eastern and African deserts. However, there are many effective preventative measures for more “habitable” regions such as China or the United States. Moreover, by recognizing certain human behavior that leads to sandstorms, we can prevent other regions from being future hotbeds. Sandstorms are largely caused by drought, land desertification, irrational utilization of forested land, and overgrazing. In China, for example, the dust in sandstorms originates mainly from desertified grasslands, farmlands, and fields out of cultivation bordering deserts – deteriorated land. These fragile plots of land are a result of human activity.

The underlying theme of controlling sandstorms is to conserve/improve means of consumption and to try and restore deteriorated resources. Measures like these include avoiding overgrazing, improving use of water resources, restoring farmlands to forests and grasslands, restricting desert development, and further strengthening scientific research. There is a track record for success in this regard. In the early 20^th century, the United States launched the large-scale development of its western region, which led to the “dust bowl” in the 1930s that shocked the world. Later the U.S. adopted a series of effective measures, including adjusting farming structures, introducing till-less agriculture, and reforming faring machines and tools. Its agricultural measure provided a technical model for sandstorm prevention and control.

There are currently numerous domestic and international organizations committed to controlling sandstorms, most notably the United Nations Development Program[v].

5. What do I do if I get caught in a sandstorm?

Sandstorms occur frequently in most deserts and it is easy to find yourself lost, disoriented and gasping for air in these swirling walls of sand. Wear goggles and cover your mouth and nose with cloth. If natural shelter is unavailable, mark your direction of travel, lie down and sit out the storm. Dust and wind-blown sand interfere with radio transmissions, so be ready to use other means for signaling.[vi]

In all practicality, you probably do not want to put yourself in a place with a history of sandstorms unless you are well prepared and are with somebody who knows the area and is experienced. Sandstorms are no laughing matter and something that you definitely do not want to find yourself in the middle of unprepared. In other words, think twice before you decide to go on that hike alone through the Iraqi desert!

6. Works Cited

SANDSTORMS

Brian Nysenbaum

Geology 115

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Areas Where Sandstorms Frequently Occur