[VIRAL] Massive Sandstorm Engulfed a Chinese City in Clouds of Dust

For a time, social media has been buzzing with videos of a Chinese city, Dunhuang, being blasted by a sandstorm that reached a height of over 100 meters in the nation's northwestern region.

Aerosols, especially mineral dust, have an influence on the weather as well as the global and regional climate. Dust particles function as condensation nuclei for warm cloud production and as effective ice nuclei agents for cold cloud formation, especially when covered by pollutants.

Dust particles' capacity to function is determined by their size, shape, and composition, which are determined by the type of parent soils, emissions, and transportation mechanisms.

Clouds' capacity to absorb solar radiation is affected by changes in their microphysical composition, which indirectly impacts the amount of energy reaching the Earth's surface. Dust particles also alter the development of cloud droplets and ice crystals, affecting precipitation amounts and locations.

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