Sand and dust storms in Asia: a call for global cooperation on climate change
Yao Wu, Bo Wen, Shanshan Li, Yuming Guo
Abstract
On March 15, 2021, north China suddenly experienced a serious sand and dust storm, which originated in Mongolia and was the biggest in the past decade. At least nine people, including one child, were directly killed by the sand and dust storm in Mongolia. The devastating storm swept across northern China, covering 380 million hectares of land in 12 provinces. Schools in several cities were closed and more than 50 flights to and from Beijing, China were cancelled. PM10 concentrations in Beijing increased sharply to 8000 μg/m3 during the morning of March 15 due to the storm, and 24-h mean PM2·5 concentrations exceeded 200 μg/m3, which is far higher than the WHO guideline of 25 μg/m3.
Topics & Concepts
StormClimate changeClimatologyEnvironmental scienceGeographyPolitical scienceMeteorologyOceanographyGeologyAeolian processes and effectsClimate variability and modelsAtmospheric aerosols and clouds