Aerosols are tiny particles suspended in the air. Some occur naturally, originating from volcanoes, dust storms, forest and grassland fires, living vegetation, and sea spray. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, prescribed fires, and the alteration of natural surface cover, also generate aerosols. Many human-produced aerosols are small enough to be inhaled, so they present a serious health hazard around industrial centers or even hundreds of miles downwind. Additionally, thick dust or smoke plumes severely limit visibility and can make it hazardous to travel by air or road. New research shows that aerosol pollution can modify cloud properties to reduce or prevent precipitation in the polluted region. Aerosol containing black carbon can impact climate and possibly reduce formation of clouds. Check out our related links for Dust & Smoke.

Latest Dust & Smoke Events

	Dust & Smoke: Dust Storm in Iraq A massive cloud of dust hovered over Iraq in mid-September 2008. 1 Image, Posted: September 16, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf Dust plumes blew over the Persian Gulf in early December 2008. 1 Image, Posted: September 15, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Dust Plumes over the Middle East Dust plumes blew over Iraq and neighboring countries in early September 2008. 1 Image, Posted: September 10, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Haze over Eastern China A mixture of haze and clouds hovered over eastern China in early September 2008. 1 Image, Posted: September 08, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Dust Storm over Afghanistan On September 5, 2008, a dust storm formed over Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The storm expanded in the next few days. 2 Images, Updated: September 07, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Carbon Monoxide over Africa Carbon monoxide concentrations across Africa between August 25 and September 1, 2008, were elevated from widespread agricultural burning and wildfires. 1 Image, Posted: September 03, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Dust near Cyprus Dust blew off the coast of Turkey toward the island of Cyprus in late August 2008. 2 Images, Updated: August 27, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Smoke over Libya Black smoke billowed over the Libyan landscape on August 20, 2008, likely caused by a fire at an oil refinery. 1 Image, Posted: August 21, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Beijing Implements New Pollution Controls As Beijing prepared to host the Olympics August 8-24, 2008, and the Paralympics September 6-17, 2008, authorities implemented new procedures to reduce pollution. 3 Images, Updated: August 19, 2008
	Dust & Smoke: Dust Storm over the Persian Gulf A dust storm blew over the Persian Gulf in mid-August 2008. The dust likely arose from the Tigris and Euphrates floodplain in Iraq. 1 Image, Posted: August 15, 2008

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