I. Overview of Dust Storms
Examines the impacts of dust storms, the physical processes involved in their life cycle, their source regions, and the climatology of dust storms.
II. Dust Detection and Forecasting
Explores satellite products (notably dust RGBs) and dust models that are used for dust detection and monitoring, and presents a process for forecasting dust storms.
III. Types of Dust Storms
Examines the major types of dust storms: those that are synoptically forced, such as pre- and post-frontal dust storms and those induced by large-scale trade winds; and those caused by mesoscale systems such as downslope winds, gap flow, convection, and inversion downburst storms.
Notes:
- Although the chapters are listed in the recommended order, feel free to choose your own path through the module. For example, if you are familiar with dust-related satellite products, you might want to skip that part of Chapter II and go directly to the dust forecast section followed by the chapter on dust types.
- This module is a more comprehensive and international version of COMET's Forecasting Dust Storms, V2 module published in 2011. To view that module, go to: http://www.meted.ucar.edu/mesoprim/dust/