How does a dust storm form?
A dust storm forms through three key conditions: strong wind, loose dry soil, and atmospheric instability.
First, sustained strong winds act as the driving force that sweeps across the ground. Second, in arid regions with little vegetation, the land is covered with abundant loose and dry sand or dust, providing the material source. When powerful winds pass over such surfaces, they lift massive amounts of these particles.
Finally, under specific weather patterns, an unstable air structure—with warm air near the ground and cooler air above—creates strong upward currents. This helps lift the dust high into the atmosphere and keep it suspended. Carried by winds over long distances, the dense cloud of dust eventually develops into a widespread
dust storm.
Sandstorm Level Analysis
Floating Dust
Fine dust particles are suspended uniformly in the air. This phenomenon results in a greyish-yellow sky, turbid air, and horizontal visibility reduced to less than 10 kilometers.Blowing Sand
Strong wind lifts sand and dust, making the air quite turbid. Visibility is between 1 and 10 km.
Sandstorm
Strong winds raise large amounts of sand, severely reducing visibility to less than 1 km.Strong Sandstorm
Dense dust is rolled up by fierce winds, turning the sky yellow or red. Visibility is below 500 meters.Severe Sandstorm
The most intense level. Visibility drops below 50 meters, turning day to night with devastating effects.
Historical Major Sandstorm Events
Event Name & DateEvent & ImpactLocationEvent Images 1928 Gansu Mega Black Storm
1928–04
This storm occurred during the infamous "Year 18 Famine" of the Republic of China era. According to the "Gansu Provincial Chronicles," a massive black storm (sandstorm) lasting for several days swept through the area, darkening the skies and sending sand and stones flying. Many villages and farmland were buried by shifting sands, and a large number of livestock died or were lost.
Central and Western Gansu Province
1936 Northwest Sandstorm
1936 Historical records mention that a severe sandstorm in parts of Ningxia caused "roof tiles to fly, and people were reportedly blown into mountain gullies," indicating the ferocity of the winds.
Ningxia, Gansu, and other areas
Ordos Sandstorm, Inner Mongolia
1983–04–27A severe sandstorm resulted in 11 deaths, numerous injuries and missing persons, massive livestock deaths, and the destruction of pastures and farmland.
Ikh Juu League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (now Ordos City)
"5·5" Mega Black Storm
1993–05–05 This was the most tragic sandstorm disaster in modern Chinese history. The extremely severe sandstorm featured wind forces above Beaufort scale 12 (34 m/s), with sand walls 300-400 meters high. Wherever it passed, day turned into night.
Jinchang, Wuwei, Baiyin in Gansu; Alxa League in Inner Mongolia; and over 40 other counties/cities.
Northwest Severe Sandstorm
1998–04–15 A severe sandstorm swept from west to east across most of the northwest, reducing visibility to less than 100 meters in many areas and severely deteriorating air quality in places like Lanzhou.
Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, etc.
Spring 2000 Successive Severe Sandstorms in North China
2000–03That spring, there were 15 sand and dust weather events, 10 of which were severe sandstorms or sandstorms. The storms on March 22-23, April 6, and April 19 were particularly intense.
Extremely wide-ranging, affecting most of Northern China, with Beijing attacked multiple times.
"3·20" Severe Sandstorm Attacks Beijing
2002–03–20 One of the strongest sandstorms Beijing encountered in the early new century. The city was covered in thick floating dust, with air quality reaching the most severe "Level 5 Heavy Pollution," and total suspended particulate concentrations exceeding standards by a hundredfold.
Central Inner Mongolia, entire Beijing municipality
"4·17" Severe Sandstorm
2006–04–17A severe sandstorm originating from Mongolia deposited 330,000 tons of dust on Beijing overnight, shrouding the city in yellow floating dust and causing a sharp drop in visibility.
Beijing and North China region
Widespread Sandstorm in Northern China
2010–03–20 The strongest and most extensive sand and dust weather process after the start of spring that year. Severe sandstorms occurred in the Southern Xinjiang Basin and central-western Inner Mongolia, with visibility dropping to 0 meters in the Jilantai area of Inner Mongolia at one point.
Affected 21 provinces (regions/municipalities) in China, covering an area over 2.8 million square kilometers.
"4·15" Severe Sandstorm
2015–04–15Relatively strong sand and dust weather affected the north. Beijing experienced severe floating dust weather, with persistently high PM10 concentrations and a yellowish sky.
Xinjiang, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, many areas of North China.
Super Strong Sandstorm2021–03–15The dust primarily originated from Mongolia. The peak PM10 concentration in Beijing exceeded 8,000 µg/m³, the sky turned a rare orange-red, visibility was extremely low, creating an almost "apocalyptic scene."
12 northern provinces (regions/municipalities); Beijing encountered its strongest sandstorm since 2013.
Desert Control Plan
Perhaps in the future, there may be a cross-regional climate engineering project known as "South-to-North Air Transfer." This initiative aims to establish a national-level "atmospheric regulation system" that relies on massive diversion conduits, pressurization stations, and air collection facilities. During periods of optimal humidity and air quality in southern regions, this system would directionally transport moisture-rich, clean air to arid and desert areas in the northwest. By integrating artificial precipitation enhancement technologies, it could induce rainfall, increase soil moisture, thereby suppressing dust, promoting vegetation restoration, and fundamentally improving the ecological environment of dust source regions. Through coordinated management via an intelligent meteorological network, this project holds the potential to achieve source-level control of sandstorms, representing an innovative approach to addressing ecological issues through systematic macro-engineering.