[1] Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface.

The arid regions of North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and China are the main terrestrial sources of airborne dust.

At wind speeds above that which causes the smallest to suspend, there will be a population of dust grains moving by a range of mechanisms: suspension, saltation and creep.

[4] Particles become loosely held mainly due to a prolonged drought or arid conditions, and high wind speeds.

The vertical extent of the dust or sand that is raised is largely determined by the stability of the atmosphere above the ground as well as by the weight of the particulates.

The Sahara desert is a key source of dust storms, particularly the Bodélé Depression[7] and an area covering the confluence of Mauritania, Mali, and Algeria.

[8] Sahara dust is frequently emitted into the Mediterranean atmosphere and transported by the winds sometimes as far north as central Europe and Great Britain.

[9] Saharan dust storms have increased approximately 10-fold during the half-century since the 1950s, causing topsoil loss in Niger, Chad, northern Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.

[15] Bacteria and fungus spores in the ground are blown into the atmosphere by the storms with the minute particles and interact with urban air pollution.

[22] Dust storms cause soil loss from the drylands, and worse, they preferentially remove organic matter and the nutrient-rich lightest particles, thereby reducing agricultural productivity.

[26] These dust storms can extend over larger areas than those on Earth, sometimes encircling the planet, with wind speeds as high as 25 m/s (60 mph).