Haboob

Haboob

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Haboob: a funny word, but its meaning is far from laughable. First, what is a haboob? Jim Armstrong, Spokane County Conservation District, Washington State: “It’s an Arabic term defining a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric current. Haboobs can have catastrophic effects on both land and life.

Dry August winds often stir up dust clouds in central and eastern Washington, but 2014 was exceptional. On Aug. 12, an enormous, miles-wide haboob, which was reminiscent of those from the Dust Bowl era, descended upon eastern Washington. Two weeks later, another dust cloud caused a 50-car pile-up in the southern part of the state, sending multiple people to the hospital and shutting down Interstate 82.

The main source of the dust was unprotected farm fields, either after harvest or lands that have been left vacant for the year. In other words, there were no plants covering the soil between crops being planted.

When farmers using conventional tillage techniques are working the ground, the tractors and drills kick up dust. Substitute 40- to 50-mph winds in place of the tractor and drill, and soil erosion increases exponentially. Combine several hundred thousand acres of farm land and 50 mph winds and you have a haboob.

 

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