
Dust clouds leaving mainland China and traveling toward Korea and Japan
Here's some info I found on Wikipedia:
Asian Dust (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind, or China dust storms) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia and northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Sometimes, the airborne particulates are carried much further, in significant concentrations which affect air quality as far east as the United States.
In the last decade or so, it has become a serious problem due to the increase of industrial pollutants contained in the dust and intensified desertification in China causing longer and more frequent occurrences, as well as in the last few decades when the Aral Sea of Kazakhstan started drying up due to a failed Soviet agricultural scheme.
EFFECTS:
Areas affected by the dust experience decreased visibility and the dust is known to cause a variety of health problems, not limited to sore throat and asthma in otherwise healthy people. Often, people are advised to avoid or minimize outdoor activities, depending on severity of storms. For those already with asthma or respiratory infections, it can be fatal. The dust has been shown to increase the daily mortality rate in one affected region by 1.7%.
SEVERITY:
Shanghai on April 3, 2007 recorded an air quality index of 500, in the US, a 300 is considered "Hazardous" and anything over 200 is "Unhealthful". 2007 so far seems to be the worst on record.
Desertification has intensified in China, as 1,740,000 km² of land are "dry", it disrupts the lives of 400 million people and causes direct economic losses of 54 billion yuan ($7 billion) a year, SFA figures show. These figures probably vastly underestimate, as they just take into account direct effects, without including medical, pollution, and other secondary effects, as well as effects to neighboring nations.
Global warming as well as El Nino play a role in Asian dust storms, because ice sheets that form in winter can keep dust from sweeping off the land.
MITIGATION:
In recent years, South Korea and the People's Republic of China have participated in reforestation efforts in the source region. However, this has not affected the problem in any significant way. In April 2006, South Korean meteorologists reported the worst yellow dust storm in four years. Japan has donated money, equipment, and knowhow to install sulfur filters on coal plants in China. Despite this, a very low percentage of plants have sulfur filters installed.
China also has taken steps, with international support, to plant trees in desert areas, including a claim of 12 billion trees planted. However, the winds are so strong in some places that the trees simply topple or are buried in sand.
In 2007, South Korea sent several thousand trees to help block the migration of the yellow dust. These trees, however, were planted only by highways, because the People's Republic of China stated to South Korea that they could receive the trees but that they would decide where the trees would be planted.
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The dust storm will be passing over Korea in the next few days. It's advised that you wear a mask when you go outside. Make sure you keep your windows and doors closed.
I hope this information was useful.
1 comment:
That's crazy, Jon. I'm glad you only got a sore throat so far!
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