Sand storms are very particular meteorological phenomena, where intense winds cause sand and other dry materials found on the ground to rise up and be transported for kilometers. They are very common in regions such as the Sahara Desert (Africa), the Gobi Desert (Mongolia), the Taklamakan Desert (China), Australia, some areas of North America, and other arid and semi-arid areas.
These storms make as much impression, as rain storms. They are capable of transporting tiny particles with such speed across large territories, which on certain occasions makes it possible for these particles to travel from one country to another. These large clouds of sand that form can reach several meters in height.
The causes that originate this natural phenomenon are the result of a> mixture of different climatic factors. For obvious reasons, they only occur in those places where a considerable amount of sand is found, without giving importance to the origin of these; This is why the Sahara desert and central Asian countries, where the climate is mostly arid and with dry soils, are frequently affected by sand storms.
When the wind passes over a sandy soil, the loose particles move around the soil surface. In order for the wind to lift the fine particles from the sand, it must have an intensity of 14.5 km / h. as this intensity increases, the particles begin to agitate, to later experience a phenomenon called saltation, which occurs when they are moved from the surface, transferred and then returned to the ground.
A medida que las partículas de arena tocan el suelo, se van fragmentando en trozos más pequeños, lo que incrementa la cantidad de arena. Además de esto la saltación, genera un campo eléctrico estático por el roce ya que las partículas chocan entre sí y con la superficie, tomando una carga negativa, mientras que el suelo percibe una carga positiva. Si logra ser trasladada, la arena es capaz de moverse por medio del viento y viajar con este.
Even though sandstorms are natural phenomena, experts are concerned about the interference, which is increasing every day, of human activities in the soils and that they increase the risk of these types of events arising. Activities such as irresponsible agricultural practices that promote salinization, desertification and erosion, as well as excessive grazing, which leave the soils without any type of forest cover to protect them.
Among the effects or consequences that sandstorms can have, are the lack of visibility, since the sand, even when the sand is made up of tiny particles, when they are in a considerable volume they obstruct the light, which is dangerous for those who travel in vehicles. It can also cause suffocation, conjunctivitis, in cases of constant exposure to them, it can cause lung cancer.
However, sandstorms despite being impressive events to see, it is rare that they are given much importance in several areas of the world, this is because their effects, in general, are not catastrophic in an immediate way.
