What Is the Cause and Impact of Australiaa s Dust Storm?

Australia's biggest dust storm in 70 years blanketed Sydney and other parts of the east coast in red dust this week.

[viv]

This is the coolest thing ever. Very interesting to learn about it.

[alyssa]

i think that was a horrible storm and i am hoping the storms decreses

[Janet]

Isn't all of Australia just a big dust storm? That's what it sounded like in "The Thorn Birds," anyway.

[noteatpig2getha]

Janet wrote:

Isn't all of Australia just a big dust storm? That's what it sounded like in "The Thorn Birds," anyway.

"The Thorn Birds" was set on a sheep station in the outback. Sydney is not the outback.

[noteatpig2getha]

alyssa wrote:

i think that was a horrible storm and i am hoping the storms decreses

It was virtually gone in 24 hours.

[mostly numb but good]

as the story says we have always had dust storms here and the cause is drought (we have always had those too) and soil from the Lake Eyre Basin in South Australia; the driest state on the driest continent on earth.

The current joke here is if QLD and NSW does not start sending us more water down the Murry then we will keep sending them our SA dust

[Lucy age 13]

I woke up at six to go to school and the whole sky was red. i thought the sun was rising so i shut the curtains and got ready for school i then realised the sun was still rising. i went outside and realised it was all dust, plus at the station there was a guy washing his car and every time he wiped a spot dust fell on the spot he had just wiped. It was quite amusing.

[theworldasweknow it]

Silt left over from lake eyre floods

and its not an uncommon event in history

see here;

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/09/23/the-aus...

[viv]

So cool to see comments on here from people in Australia!

[Mr F]

What a sight to see. Just the filters for Aircon, plat etc... is going to be massive.
The owners of the service industries are probably organising a "donut" contest for larrikins on Lake Eyre.

[Mickey]

Janet wrote:

Isn't all of Australia just a big dust storm? That's what it sounded like in "The Thorn Birds," anyway.

there are a lot of Australian shows and movies that show Australia is not all desert and dust. we have suburbs too you know, with green grass! OMG. sorry, didn't mean to make you fall off your chair with the shock and surprise.bring up a mini-series that is 26 years old why dont ya!

[Palawa]

Mickey wrote:

<quoted text>there are a lot of Australian shows and movies that show Australia is not all desert and dust. we have suburbs too you know, with green grass! OMG. sorry, didn't mean to make you fall off your chair with the shock and surprise.bring up a mini-series that is 26 years old why dont ya!

Easy to see you haven't been out west lately beyond the ranges, it's not a pretty sight

[mostly numb but good]

theworldasweknowit wrote:

Silt left over from lake eyre floods
and its not an uncommon event in history
see here;
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/09/23/the-aus...

yes many people do not know that lake eyre filled up for the first time in a long time this year, and with this water, came the silt so of course when the wind picked up it would go somewhere.
We have BIG dust storms every summer here is SA. You just learn to shut the house up before it comes.

[TBA]

viv wrote:

This is the coolest thing ever. Very interesting to learn about it.

Not for all the asthmatics stuggling to breathe. For us it is life threatening.

[Palawa]

mostly numb but good wrote:

<quoted text>
yes many people do not know that lake eyre filled up for the first time in a long time this year, and with this water, came the silt so of course when the wind picked up it would go somewhere.
We have BIG dust storms every summer here is SA. You just learn to shut the house up before it comes.

Lake Eyre fills about every 3-5 years, one of it's biggest fills on record was back in the 70's and was about 6 metres deep, this years peaked in May and was only 1.5 metres and not big at all, but average. There was no big dust storms cove4ring the east coast back then nor in the intervening years.

Wikipedia.
“Typically a 1.5 m (5 ft) flood occurs every three years, a 4 m (13 ft) flood every decade, and a fill or near fill four times a century. The water in the lake soon evaporates with a minor and medium flood drying by the end of the following summer.”

Why is it that so many people think natural weather occurrences have only begun to happen in the last few years. What they don't realisr is the weather was very different 50 years ago around this country, when we had less than 10 million, as was the environment and I was a lovely country, unlike now where its filled with head in the sand fruit loops.

[mostly numb but good]

Palawa wrote:

<quoted text>
Lake Eyre fills about every 3-5 years, one of it's biggest fills on record was back in the 70's and was about 6 metres deep, this years peaked in May and was only 1.5 metres and not big at all, but average. There was no big dust storms cove4ring the east coast back then nor in the intervening years.
Wikipedia.
.....

you are so wrong it is funny.
so ....
seems you do not know as much as you claim...especially if you consider Wikish*te as a 'real' source for anything.

Lake Eyre has only filled up three times in 160 years
and early this year I made the effort to go and see if for myself.

And You?

----------

Lake Eyre filling up for the first time in 10 years – wildlife spectacle
03/03/2009 13:43:40
Lake Eyre, which spends most of its life as a dry salt pan, is currently flooding for the first time in 10 years. Credit SATC
See One of Australia's Most Spectacular Sights As Floodwaters Breathe Life into South Australia's Dry Lake Eyre
March 2009. The world's largest salt lake, Lake Eyre in South Australia is once again bursting into life as Queensland floodwaters flow along normally dormant creeks and rivers to reach Australia's lowest point, 15 metres below sea level.

Only fills up every 50 years on average - becomes Australia's largest lake
Located 700 kilometres from Adelaide, Lake Eyre, which has only filled to the brim three times in the last 160 years, last saw water in 2000 when it became half full. Normally inhospitable to wildlife, when flowing with water Lake Eyre is transformed into Australia's largest lake, a wildlife oasis brimming with flora and fauna. Pelicans, gulls and terns follow the water, whilst camels and other wildlife are drawn by the water's scent

[I Know]

Mountain Top Removal

[Beer]

Impact of Australia Dust Storm?
Too many queue jumpers that came to Australia never saw anithing like it so they farted and some religion fanatics told a TV News that it looked as if Armageddon arrived. Also some Weather Reporters were Fire from their jobs because they said that it was going to be a Sunny Day but instead it was a red dust windy day just like Mars.

[Palawa]

mostly numb but good wrote:

<quoted text>
you are so wrong it is funny.
so ....
seems you do not know as much as you claim...especially if you consider Wikish*te as a 'real' source for anything.
Lake Eyre has only filled up three times in 160 years
and early this year I made the effort to go and see if for myself.
And You?
----------
Lake Eyre filling up for the first time in 10 years – wildlife spectacle
03/03/2009 13:43:40
Lake Eyre, which spends most of its life as a dry salt pan, is currently flooding for the first time in 10 years. Credit SATC
See One of Australia's Most Spectacular Sights As Floodwaters Breathe Life into South Australia's Dry Lake Eyre
March 2009. The world's largest salt lake, Lake Eyre in South Australia is once again bursting into life as Queensland floodwaters flow along normally dormant creeks and rivers to reach Australia's lowest point, 15 metres below sea level.
Only fills up every 50 years on average - becomes Australia's largest lake
Located 700 kilometres from Adelaide, Lake Eyre, which has only filled to the brim three times in the last 160 years, last saw water in 2000 when it became half full. Normally inhospitable to wildlife, when flowing with water Lake Eyre is transformed into Australia's largest lake, a wildlife oasis brimming with flora and fauna. Pelicans, gulls and terns follow the water, whilst camels and other wildlife are drawn by the water's scent

The funny thing is, what I said was right, you're just to stupid to read it properly and then try to contradict me with almost the same information, dick head. But I suppose when you're just a clone, what else can you expect.

I've been to the lake Eyre area a number of times in my life, just like I've been to just about every place in Aus, being a muso traveller and fossiker.
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/sanpr/...

http://www.k26.com/eyre/The_Lake/Papers/Lake_...

http://www.google.com.au/search...

[SUPERIOR AUSSIE]

I saw it full in the 80's. Well it looked full to me anyway.