Globalization is a phenomenon affecting all facets of the Earth System. Within the context of ecological systems, it is becoming increasingly apparent that global connectivity among terrestrial systems, the atmosphere, and oceans is driving many ecological dynamics at finer scales and pushing thresholds of change (Fagre et al., 2009; MEA, 2005; Rial et al., 2004). For example, increasing atmosp...

This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in ACP if available. Abstract The formation and propagation of density currents are well studied processes in fluid dynamics with many applications to other science fields. In the atmosphere, density currents are usually meso-β/γ mechanisms and ar...

[1] Dust storms are considered natural hazards, which affect day-to-day life for a short time from a few hours to a few days. They are common in India especially in the western Rajasthan Province, which is covered by the Thar Desert. In this paper, we present the effects of the dust events on the aerosol parameters retrieved over Kanpur (located in heart of the Indo-Gangetic basin) from ground-...

[1] Dust storms originating in the Gobi desert and the surrounding areas critically impact weather, climate, and public health in China and neighboring Pacific Rim countries. In the decades between 1954 and 2007, reports of annual dust storm occurrences and the corresponding amount of total precipitation at 753 Chinese meteorological sites show a reduction in the occurrence and intensity of dus...

Laboratory studies, numerical simulations, and desert field tests indicate that aeolian dust transport can generate atmospheric electricity via contact electrification or “triboelectricity.” In convective structures such as dust devils and dust storms, grain stratification leads to macroscopic charge separations and gives rise to an overall electric dipole moment in the aeolian feature, similar...

Recent developments in climate change have increased the frequency of dust storms in the Middle East. Dust storms significantly influence the performances of solar energy harvesting systems, particularly (photovoltaic) PV systems. The characteristics of the dust and the mud formed from this dust are examined using various analytical tools, including optical, scanning electron, and atomic force ...