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ASIAN
STORMS MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE EAST
Despite
experts predictions that the Asian dust storms that originated
two weeks ago in Mongolia would not make it to the Eastern
United States, satellite photos from the SeaWiFS confirms
that the dust storms indeed did hit the Eastern U.S. by storm.
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Click
on picture to enlarge
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This
photo was taken by SeaWiFS
on March 28, 2001 before the dust storms.
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Click
on picture to enlarge
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The
April 19, 2001 SeaWIFS image (right) clearly shows dust effects.
ASIAN
DUST STORMS WESTERN UNITED STATES
A
series of dust clouds originating with distinct wind events
over Asia two weeks ago, have made their way across the Pacific
and spread a whitish haze across half of the U.S., sources
say.
Gene
Feldman, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, MD said aircraft have been monitoring the particulates
in the dust clouds. Apparently, the dust clouds picked
up industrial pollution from two of China's largest cities
and are now blanketing the mid-Western United States with
this matter. Dr. Feldman said, "At one time, the
dust cloud was bigger than Japan."
 As
early as 1998, scientists were claiming that industrial pollution
from China was spreading to the United States where pollution
in the U.S. was rising to two-thirds the federal health limits.
The current storm proves this theory to be true. Pollution
from Asia is reaching in the U.S. in alarming amounts.
 The
particulates in the dust clouds that reduce visibility and
cause respiratory problems have not been measured in such
high volume since Mt. St. Helens erupted, and even then, the
particulates did not reach the ground as they are in this
case.
 The
dust storms could even reach the Eastern U.S., but experts
say they will probably dissipate as they move across the midwest.
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