![]() The grain size also matters as the finer dust particles - those less than 10 micrometres (pm10) and especially less than 2.5 micrometres (pm2.5) - are serious human health hazards, as they are small enough to be drawn deep into the lungs.ĭust storms in China have occurred since long before humans had a widespread impact on the landscape. ![]() Sand will not readily blow hundreds of kilometres, or even around the world - dust will. They are not reliant on the short-distance ballistic hops of the sand grains, but may find themselves suspended in a global atmospheric process that sees them transferred around the world. Crucially, these smaller, lighter grains may travel much, much further. Dust is potentially a far more serious issue than blowing sand.ĭust particles (or silt and clay as many geologists would term them) are those smaller grains, which would feel silky to the touch, and don’t scratch the skin. ![]() Sand grains are mineral particles greater than 0.06mm in diameter - the sort that scratches your ankles on a windy day at the beach and ends up spoiling the picnic by feeling crunchy in your sandwiches. This might sound like an act of geological pedantry, but it represents a crucial difference, and it comes down to a question of size. The problem, at least in terms of public health, is that it was not actually a sandstorm. The skies in Beijing turned orange recently, thanks to what was widely-reported as a massive sandstorm.īeijing and other parts of northern China hit by biggest sandstorm in 10 years at least 6 dead, 81 missing in neighboring Mongolia /rlJa0stgRf
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