2026/01/01 by Amato T. Evan, Adeyemi Adibiyi, Jennifer Burney +12 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Atmospheric aerosols and clouds #Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols #Meteorological Phenomena and Simulations
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/dry.2026.10041
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/06/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/18
Abstract Dust storms are pervasive across much of the inland and arid regions of California. These extreme meteorological and air pollution events affect the state’s environment and economy, as well as the health of the nearly 5 million people living in dust-prone areas. Developing effective strategies to address the deleterious impacts of dust storms requires a clear understanding of their causes, spatial and temporal variability, and the efficacy of mitigation techniques. This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on dust storms in California, including where they occur, the landscape and climatic factors governing their geographic distribution, drivers of historical and projected future changes, and their impacts on human health, the economy and natural systems. This work assesses existing approaches for mitigating and adapting to dust storms and identifies critical gaps in understanding that currently limit effective responses within the state. This review is intended as a resource for researchers, community-based organizations, state agencies and policymakers engaged in addressing dust impacts in California. While the focus is regional, the environmental processes, societal impacts and management challenges discussed here are broadly applicable to drylands, making this work relevant beyond California.