Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Meteorological analysis of severe dust storm over middle east. Dust storms are frequent across the middle east but usually focus on iraq and the. Iraq had an edge in manpower, tanks and artillery systems over 700,000 officers and men, about 5,000 tanks, over 8,000 field cannons and mortars. Dust storms originated from the north of africa are increasing in the north of saudi and iraq and their developments reach the north of persian gulf and khuzestan province in iran. Afghanistan dust storm 10 dust storms as seen from space. Dust storms extending from syria and northern iraq southward to kuwait and iran on 24 may 2012 left and along the china.
Spatiotemporal methodologies and analytics for extreme. This is the worst dust storm we have ever had in iraq, said doctor jasib lateef, operations manager at the iraqi health ministry. Multipurpose land monitoring project in euphrates and tigris rivers. Climate and generation of dust storms in saudi arabia. Mar 19, 2003 winds over the kuwaiti desert have blown up a gritty sandstorm that has reduced visibility to just a few meters and may impact on invasion plans for the u. Sandstorm blankets iraq, sends hundreds to hospital.
During spring and summer months in iraq the winds are mainly from the north northwest, therefore areas in the middle to southern portions of iraq, such as balad and baghdad have visibilities reduced to less than 1600 meters by these dust events approximately 5% of the time. According to the new york times and the website terradaily, reduced visibility slowed traffic to a crawl among those determined to brave the storm while many commuters stayed home. The combination of the isis insurgency and low oil prices are producing an economic shock unprecedented in iraqs troubled history. Impacts of climate and synoptic fluctuations on dust storm. Newonset asthma among soldiers serving in iraq and afghanistan.
Iraq is one of the countries in the world where dust storms hit and. Shamal dust storms occur across iraq, kuwait, and the arabian peninsula. Apr 06, 2010 perry brock iii sent this video of a dust storm in iraq. The term dust storm is more likely to be used when finer particles are blown long distances, especially when the dust storm affects urban areas. Request pdf sand and dust storm trajectories from iraq mesopotamian flood plain to kuwait although kuwait is greatly impacted by sand and dust storms sds from southern iraq, to date little. These ambient conditions are unique and are dramatically. The impact of dust and sandstorms in increasing drought. Study of dust storm synoptical patterns in southwest of iran. The main causes in the development of sand and dust storms, in iraq are discussed.
In iraq, the ministry of environment recorded 122 dust. Airpower in the gulf war early on the morning of 17 january 1991, waves of coalition aircraft took off into the dark arabian night, air force tankers and. In midjune, a shamal caused a massive dust storm that stretched from iraq to india to the arabian peninsula, where it hovered for days due to low wind speeds. Dust storms can suspend large quantities of sand and cause haze in the boundary layer over local and regional scales. The iraqi government recorded 122 dust storms and 283 dusty days in a single year. The worlds fourth largest oil exporter, iraq also holds the worlds fifth largest proven reserves of petroleum. It appears low pressure at the surface in northern iraq sunday initially kicked off the dust storm, said senior. At the same time, iraq had only about 700 warplanes and some 10 warships. The events of sand and dust storms are either regional or local.
The effect of dust storms on some meteorological elements. A view of dust storm events phoenix dust storm a 100year event, 2011, july 5th source. None of the major parties is calling for an immediate u. Sand and dust storm trajectories from iraq mesopotamian. The dust storm that enveloped baghdad for three days was not unusual. The results of dust storms analyses reflect their increase in average.
Dust storms such as the ones pictured here are driven by a northwest wind called the shamal or shumal, or shimal that can rip through the tigris and euphrates river valleys of central and southern iraq at any time of the year, but which blows almost constantly through june and july. Dust storms are short lived and, have almost no sand, its mostly all dirt dust hence the term, dust storm. Mohammed2 1department of atmospheric sciences, college of science, almustansiriyah university. Newonset asthma among soldiers serving in iraq and. Iraq is one of the countries that is often impacted to a large degree by the occurrences of dust storms. Iraqs economic outlook spring 2016 the latest mena economic monitor report spring 2016, expects iraqs economy to recover from a low base, growing at 7. Quantitative information on the contribution of dust storms to atmospheric pm10 particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter. The dirt behind iraqs dust storms article the united. Swi, especially the khuzestan province, is known for frequent dust storms. Nov 16, 2004 baghdad lies in the center of iraq along the tigris river. Dust storms in iran, northeastern iraq and syria, the persian gulf and southern arabian peninsula are more frequent in summer.
Dust storms over saudi arabia rmit research repository. For 68% of the shamal dust storms, a high pressure. It aims to improve the ability of countries to deliver quick and highquality sand and dust storm forecasts and knowledge to users through an international partnership of research and operational organizations. Remote sensing and gis for dust storm studies in iraq. In iraq, dust storms are so frequent that the language employs different terms describing the direction of the storm, e. An incisive account of the persian gulf war, storm over iraq shows how the success of operation desert storm was the product of two decades of profound changes in the american approach to defense, military doctrine, and combat operations. Dust storms in the region can be grouped into two main categories, i. May 03, 2012 baghdad a sand storm covered baghdad on thursday noon. The ministry of environment, in iraq recorded 122 dust storms and 283 dusty days, and sources suggest that within the next ten years iraq could witness 300 dusty days and dust storms per year 1.
Mar 25, 2003 a sandstorm that kicked up in southern iraq on monday continued to pelt u. What is a dust storm and what are the symptoms following exposure. The mediterranean ocean lies to the west, a source of moisture and moderate temperatures. Desertification when individual land degradation processes, acting locally, combine to. The mesopotamia, or the land between the two rivers euphrates and tigris, which was once. Establishing a wmo sand and dust storm warning advisory and. All areas have their own unique forecasting challenges. Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to sand, dust and particulate exposure during military service. Dust sources, regardless of size or strength, can usually be associated with topographical lows located in arid regions with annual rainfall under 200 250 mm. Dust storm is a kind of severe environmental issues.
With it, the council initiated a move beyond its hitherto preferred politicomilitary mode as mediator and peacekeeper between warring parties to a more legalregulatory approach seeking to enforce compliance with its. In this study nineveh province was selected as the study area to investigate the relationship between the increase in such storms and drought expansion. If you want to learn about the on the ground details of the gulf war, and the other side of the controversy between franks and schwarzkopf, then this book is a fantastic history lesson. The effect of dust storms on some meteorological elements over baghdad, iraq. The resulting wind typically creates large sandstorms that impact iraq, most sand having. Dust storms, one type of dust event, are in most cases the result of turbulent wind miller et al. Sandstorm blankets iraq, sends hundreds to hospital reuters. Synoptic analysis of dust storms in the middle east. Sources, costs, and solutions full report in pdf format. Jul 02, 2016 sand and dust storms sds appears to be growing in number and severity in iran over the past several decades. Sand storm covers baghdad iraqi news iraq news, the. By muhanad mohammed baghdad, july 5 reuters hundreds of iraqis are seeking medical help after one of the worst sandstorms in. Sensors free fulltext monitoring dust storms in iraq. The former, however, is more frequent than the latter.
Subsequent discussion focuses on synoptic charts for monthly means and anomalies compared to 30year period 19812010 at sea level pressure, near surface levels 850 hpa. The former, however, causes more economic losses and harsh effect on the humans health, as compared with the latter. Sand and dust storms in asia and the pacific united nations escap. Sand and dust storms in the middle east and north africa mena region. Sand and dust storms path and source clusters in mena. However, the middle east is well known for its arid and semiarid environment with frequent and severe dust and sand storms. The study relies on the idea of extracting different concentrations for dust storm by using the variations spectral reflectance within the dust cloud so that it can distinguish the airborne dust from the land features which is normally drought land. A dust storm first imaged on 2003, had progressed south and east by april 17, and was draped over saudi arabia, the persian gulf, and iran in this moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer modis image from the aqua satellite. The frequency of the occurrence has increased drastically in the last decade and it is increasing continuously. In the country of iraq you would think that your challenge would be. In western iraq and syria, jordan, lebanon, northern israel, northern arabian peninsula and southern egypt they occur mainly in the spring, while in southern israel and in the mediterranean parts of northern egypt, in. An analysis of a dust storm impacting operation iraqi freedom, 2527 march 2003.
To the south of iraq is the great arabian desert, a source of heat and dust. Gardi college of science, university of baghdad, faculty of engineering, koya university abstract dust storm in iraq is a climatic phenomenon. Dust storms in iran, northeastern of iraq and syria, the persian gulf and southern arabian peninsula are more common in summer. The first detailed analysis of why the gulf war could be fought the way it was, the book examines the. Other countries visible in the image include iraq where the tigris and euphrates rivers merge at top left, kuwait top left of persian gulf, saudi arabia bottom stretching along the. Dust storms in northeastern iraq, the persian gulf and the southern arabian peninsula are more frequent in summer because a strong northwesterly wind, called the shamal, blows over the floodplain of iraq s tigris and euphrates rivers for up to three months, transporting the sand and dust. We met with a wide range of senior iraqi and kurdish officials, as well as journalists. From a ragtag group of bloodthirsty terrorists to an effective armed group that is giving the iraqi army a run for its money, the islamic state in iraq and al sham isis has come a long way. Dust storm, geological map, dust material, susceptible land, wind erosion, rainfall, iran, iraq, 1. The ongoing conflict will require a sharp rise in security expenditures at the same time that government oil export revenues are collapsing, forcing the government into deficit spending. Though dust storms are not uncommon in the middle east. Dust from storms can be carried by winds hundreds to thousands of miles and can reach elevations of 10,000 feet. Newonset asthma among soldiers serving in iraq and afghanistan anthony 3m. Dust storms can occur when strong winds fill the air with small dust particles less than 60 microns clouding the air over a large area.
Dust storm in erbil city as a result of climatic change in. Risk warning and crisis management for dust storm effects. Identification of dust storm sources in iraq using space. Dust storms are a common occurrence in afghanistan, where during the summer residents endure as much as six days a month of blowing dust. Central iraq to witness dust storms, sunday iraqi news. This is largely due to the lack of attention to preservation and protection of the environment, as well as the destruction of renewable natural resources. The aim of this study is to discuss the types of sand and dust storms in iraq, their regional and local exten figure 1. The rest of 48 dust storms were just spread over iraq and a smaller part of iran. Although this is usually what most people ask about when you get into discussions of weather in iraq, the real challenge is dust storms. Many of the dust storms that impact kuwait originate from the north of the country, and transport dust and sand from close neighbors iraq and saudi arabia, but the dust trajectories can also transform dust from iran and egypt cao et al.
The climatic elements with the dust storms types were studied. Dust storms damage crops and remove the fertile top soil, which reduces agricultural productivity. Desert shield desert storm to operation iraqi freedom. Proceeding of the 1st conference on dust storms and their environmental effects, 1718 oct. Pdf analysis of synoptic situation for dust storms in iraq. In four of the selected cases, the dust plumes reached the northeastern to eastern part of iran and affected the caspian sea region. May 19, 1997 from his time in vietnam, his injury and recuperation, to leading vii corps in iraq with the famous left hook, it doesnt get much more honest than this. Dust storms in the islamic republic of iran, northeastern iraq and the syrian. Perry brock iii sent this video of a dust storm in iraq. The study relies on the idea of extracting different concentrations for dust storm by using the variations spectral reflectance within the dust cloud so that it can distinguish the airborne dust. Within the next ten years, iraq could witness 300 dust events per. Pdf iraq is one of the most affected countries in the middle east concerning the occurrences of sand and dust storms.
Contribution of dust storms to pm10 levels in an urban. The dust storms that blow over iraq were studied from december 2008 to march 2009. According to many local and international reports, the risk of dust and sandstorms has increased significantly in iraq, creating serious environmental and social problems. Irans dust storms, particulates sources the media express. The synoptical feature that creates potential situation for shamal is a zone of convergence between the subtropical ridge extending into the northern arabian peninsula and iraq. The iraqi air force was outnumbered to one in terms of uptodate weaponry. Mineral wealth has been a key underlying factor in iraqs development since the 1950s.
Much of iraq s fertile lands have been literally blown away as desertification intensifies. Iraq systematic country diagnostic february 3, 2017. Iran, iraq, jordan, the southern part of turkey, saudi arabia, kuwait and syria are the main sources of the dust storms of iran. May 19, 2012 baghdad the general bureau of weather forecast and seismology predicted that the central region of iraq will witness dust storms tomorrow, sunday. It appears low pressure at the surface in northern iraq sunday initially kicked off the dust storm, said senior meteorologist jonathan erdman.
The report underlines the need to address sand and dust storms through a multihazard risk assessment and. The storm limited coalition troops ability to see more than a few feet ahead. Figure 1 below shows iraq and baghdad on march 26, 2003. Iran, iraq, jordan, southern part of turkish, saudi arabia, kuwait and syria that are concerned in this study as main sources of dust storms of iran have arid and semiarid climate and are located in the dust belt. Baghdad lies in the center of iraq along the tigris river. Occupational lung diseases among soldiers deployed to iraq. The impact of dust storms on the arabian peninsula and the red sea. Camp victory, iraq it gets in the hair, eyes and even the lungs. This weather effect occurs from once to several times a year, mostly in summer, but sometimes in winter. Furman 2003 studied the origin and spatiotemporal characteristics of dust storms in the middle east between 1973 and 1993. Cox said there was a dust storm in northern iraq which was up in the air at 18,000 feet.
A massive dust storm cloud is close to enveloping a military camp as it rolls over al asad, iraq, just before nightfall on april 27, 2005. Dust storm in erbil city as a result of climatic change in kurdistan region iraq qusai y. Dust storms are also increasingly occurring in areas where they havent in the past. It piles up quickly on everything in sight, and it can even have an effect on daytoday operations. Sand and dust storms in the middle east and north africa. To link to this object, paste this link in email, im or document to embed this object, paste this html in website. The time between june 29 to july 8, 2009 is considered one of the worst dust storm periods of all times and many iraq is suffered medical problems as a result. Pdf sand and dust storm events in iraq researchgate. Not only do i disagree with the merge but, all references of any us city or state should be removed from the haboob article. Iraq is one of the most affected countries in the middle east concerning the occurrences of sand and dust storms. A dust storm, also called sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semiarid regions. Jul 05, 2009 sandstorm blankets iraq, sends hundreds to hospital. The main objective of this study was to quantify the contribution of dust storms to pm10 concentrations in a desert urban center, the city of beersheva.
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