Large cold fronts and associated troughs can produce large scale dust storms. These large rolling dust-laden fronts are called Haboobs, after dust storms in the Nile River Valley, Egypt.
A rolling 'haboob' in the Nile River Valley, Egypt. Photo: D. Habalah.
A dust storm in Australia. Photo: J. Kemp.
One such event traversed eastern Australia on the 23rd of October 2002. The satellite image (below) highlights the large area affected; from Victoria to the Gulf country of Queensland. An estimated 4.85 million tonnes of sediment was transported during this event, with a large percentage deposited in the Coral Sea.
SeaWiFS satellite image showing a large band of dust (light brown) being entrained by a front during the 2002 drought.
On 23 September 2009, a massive dust storm nicknamed the 'red dawn' event swept across eastern Australia.
>> read the news about it
>> watch the video filmed by the ABC Broken Hill crew as the dust cloud darkened the sky
FACT Dust from Australia has been found in Antarctica, and gives a reddish tint to the snow on mountains in New Zealand.
Dust storms
