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Haboob

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Haboob in Big Spring, Texas

A haboob[1] (Arabic: هَبوب, romanized: habūb, lit. 'blasting/drifting') is a type of intense dust storm carried by the wind of a weather front. Haboobs occur regularly in dry land area regions throughout the world.

Formation and characteristics

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During thunderstorm formation, winds move in a direction opposite to the storm's travel, and they move from all directions into the thunderstorm. When the storm collapses and begins to release precipitation, wind directions reverse, gusting outward from the storm and generally gusting the strongest in the direction of the storm's travel.[2][3][4]

When this downdraft of cold air, or downburst, reaches the ground, it sweeps up dry, loose silt and clay (referred to collectively as dust) from the desert, forming a wall of airborne sediment that precedes the storm cloud. This dust wall can span up to 100 km (62 mi) in width and extend several kilometers in elevation. During their peak intensity, haboob winds can reach speeds of 35–100 km/h (22–62 mph) and may approach suddenly with minimal warning. Rain often fails to reach the ground level as it evaporates in the hot, dry air—a phenomenon known as virga). The evaporation process further chills the rushing air and propels it forward. In some instances, persistent rain may carry a significant amount of dust, leading to what is termed as mud storms in severe cases.

Safety

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Eye and respiratory system protection is advisable for anyone who must be outside during a haboob. Moving to shelter is highly advised during a strong event.

While operating a vehicle, drivers are advised to pull over to the side of the road and turn off their lights to avoid confusing other drivers in conditions of poor visibility.[5]

Occurrence

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Middle East

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Haboobs have been observed in the Sahara, Sahel (typically Sudan, where they were named and described), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.[6] Haboob winds in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and Kuwait are frequently created by the collapse of a thunderstorm.

North Africa

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Small boat in River Nile Sudan

African haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea.

Australia

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Haboobs in Australia may be frequently associated with cold fronts. The deserts of Central Australia, especially near Alice Springs, are particularly prone to haboobs, with sand and debris reaching several kilometers into the sky and leaving up to 30 centimetres (1 ft) of sand in the haboob's path.

North America

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See also: North American Monsoon

As with haboobs in the Middle East, haboob occurrences in North America are often created by the collapse of a thunderstorm. This is a local or mesoscale event, and at times of extreme drought they can originate in agricultural regions. Some of the most famous dust storms of the Dust Bowl and similar conditions later were in fact synoptic scale events typically generated by a strong cold frontal passage, with storms on 11 November 1911, 9–11 May 1934, 14 April 1935, and 19 February 1954 having been particularly vivid examples.

The arid and semiarid regions of North America—in fact, any dry region—may experience haboobs. In North America, the most common terms for these events are either dust storm or sandstorm. In the U.S., they frequently occur in the deserts of Arizona, including around the cities of Yuma and Phoenix;[7][8] in New Mexico, including Albuquerque; eastern California; and Texas.[9] Per the Washington State Department of Ecology, they also occur in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington, and can impact cities such as Walla Walla[10] and Spokane.[11] In Washington, improved farming practices have led to a decline in large dust storms and haboobs since the 1990s,[12] with the largest likelihood of formation between late March through April, corresponding to the beginning of field tilling in Eastern Washington.[13] In Mexico, they occur in the northern part of the country in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert. Most recently, a haboob impacted the cities of Guaymas, San Carlos, and Empalme, Sonora on 20 July 2023.[14]

Mars

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Global dust storms on Mars have been compared to haboobs on Earth.[15]

Titan

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Dust storms of Titan observed in 2009 and 2010 have been compared to haboobs.[16][17] However, the convective storm clouds are composed of liquid methane droplets, and the dust is likely composed of organic tholins.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Haboob at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  2. ^ Farquharson, J. S. (1937). "Haboobs and instability in the sudan". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 63 (271): 393–414. Bibcode:1937QJRMS..63..393F. doi:10.1002/qj.49706327111.
  3. ^ Lawson, T. J. (1971). "Haboob Structure at Khartoum". Weather. 26 (3): 105–112. Bibcode:1971Wthr...26..105L. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1971.tb07402.x.
  4. ^ Membery, D. A. (1985). "A Gravity-Wave Haboob?". Weather. 40 (7): 214–221. Bibcode:1985Wthr...40..214M. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1985.tb06877.x.
  5. ^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Dust Storms and Haboobs". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  6. ^ Sutton, L. J. (1925). "Haboobs". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 51 (213): 25–30. Bibcode:1925QJRMS..51...25S. doi:10.1002/qj.49705121305.
  7. ^ Idso, S.B.; Ingram, R.S.; Pritchard, J.M. (1972). "An American Haboob". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 53 (10): 930–935. Bibcode:1972BAMS...53..930I. doi:10.1175/1520-0477(1972)053<0930:AAH>2.0.CO;2.
  8. ^ Idso, Carolyn W. (1973). "Haboobs in Arizona". Weather. 28 (4): 154–155. Bibcode:1973Wthr...28..154I. doi:10.1002/j.1477-8696.1973.tb02253.x.
  9. ^ Chen, W.; Fryrear, D.W. (2002). "Sedimentary characteristics of a haboob dust storm". Atmospheric Research. 61 (1): 75–85. Bibcode:2002AtmRe..61...75C. doi:10.1016/S0169-8095(01)00092-8.
  10. ^ Ellison, Jake (18 September 2013). "Photos: Major 'haboob' – dust and windstorm – strikes eastern Washington". Seattle PI. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  11. ^ Loyd, Nic; Weiford, Linda (12 August 2021). "Weathercatch: Dust-filled drama of past teaches lesson for future". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  12. ^ Vaughn, Kim (1 April 2021). "Get ready, it's haboob season". Department of Ecology State of Washington. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  13. ^ Vaughn, Kim (1 April 2021). "What you need to know about dust storms in Washington". Department of Ecology State of Washington. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  14. ^ Grupo Healy (20 July 2023). "Tormenta de arena cubre Guaymas; Protección Civil Sonora emite medidas para la población" [Dust storm covers Guaymas; Protección Civil Sonora issues safety measures]. El Imparcial (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  15. ^ Boyle, R. (9 March 2017). "Everything About Mars Is the Worst". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  16. ^ Keane, James Tuttle (October 2018). "Haboobs on Titan". Nature Geoscience. 11 (10): 705. Bibcode:2018NatGe..11..705K. doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0240-3. ISSN 1752-0908. S2CID 135135003.
  17. ^ a b Rodriguez, S.; Le Mouélic, S.; Barnes, J. W.; Kok, J. F.; Rafkin, S. C. R.; Lorenz, R. D.; Charnay, B.; Radebaugh, J.; Narteau, C.; Cornet, T.; Bourgeois, O. (October 2018). "Observational evidence for active dust storms on Titan at equinox". Nature Geoscience. 11 (10): 727–732. Bibcode:2018NatGe..11..727R. doi:10.1038/s41561-018-0233-2. ISSN 1752-0908. S2CID 134006536.
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