EXCLUSIVE: Huge Global Dust Storms Darken Skies and Parch the Earth.

Several Global Dust storms are wreaking havok upon our planet. Droughts at or near record durations threaten the extinction of plant and animal life in some regions. Is this calamity the result of modern man's mastery of this world or Mother Nature's natural cycle? The results, no matter the cause, are horrific and devastating.

Cleaners sweep a dust-covered road in Beijing April 17, 2006.


In this photo distributed by China's Xinhua news agency, vehicles park along a roadside in Beijing, China, on Monday April 17, 2006. An overnight dust storm covered large areas of the Chinese capital in fine dust, prompting residents to spend the morning cleaning up.

Dust storm in Texas - April 17, 2006


Dust storm off West Africa - April 15, 2006


Dust over the Arabian Sea - April 13, 2006


Dust storm in northeast China - April 11, 2006

More dust storms here: rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov...

Global Drought Continues to Spread


Image compiled from data at Global Drought Monitor



Image compiled from data at National Drought Mitigation Cente


SOME EAST COAST STATES HAVE DRIEST MARCH EVER,
SEVERE DROUGHT CONTINUES IN SOUTHWEST,
SOUTHERN PLAINS, RECORD RAINFALL IN HAWAII - NOAA News

•US Drought Monitor: Forecasts
•Global Drought Monitor
•World Weather News

Extinction and Famine Forecasted


•PanAfrica: Climate Change 'Worse Threat Than Deforestation'
•Climate change will cause tens of thousands of species extinctions


Must see TV

NOVA's "Dimming the Sun" premieres tomorrow on April 18th.

Is global dimming masking the full impact of global warming? Some climate experts worry that it is, with the possible consequence that as we reduce pollution, the climate will heat up to unprecedented levels.
www.pbs.org...

Is this the Planet of the Damned?
This summer is going to be a real tough one coupled with rising inflation with the coming fall indicating the start of widespread famine. Add it to the "how can it get much worst list" with a potential bird flu pandemic, escalating regional wars, dwindling natural resources, a severe Atlantic hurricane season forecasted, oceans dieing, pollution rising, out of control government corruption, etc, etc, etc...and it makes me wonder how this can be turned around before the global train wreck hits and anarchy ensues.

Philosophical reasoning of 2000 years is killing the Earth


It's one of those Mad Max type of days for me.




[edit on 23-4-2006 by Regenmacher]

Excellent research, post, graphics regenmacher.

Way above.

...I just finished reading Ender's Game. Great book. One of the characters explains that a political/economic faction wants a global train wreck with total anarchy. And not the good kind of anarchy...

A very interesting read, with great links.



With the flooding happening on the Canadian prairies right now, it's hard to think we could be facing another drought this year, but the forecast has just that.

A timely post...thanks, Regenmacher

Here's the recent color sat photos of the Beijing dust storm:

click above image to enlarge


More hi-res images of above region available here

Good Lord. I live in the midwest just this side of Oklahoma and all I can say is we better not be in for another dust bowl.

There is an old chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." and my friends, I believe we are living in interesting times.

wupy

Way Above to you, Regenmacher.

It's not hell - but you can darned sure see it from here! I'm very very concerned about this year. This is suppposed to be our rainy season...we have no rain.

Parched in Indian Territory.

Regenmacher,

Here in PA we've had the driest March on record, with little or no measurable precipitation, in a month when we typically get significant amounts. Usually I have to pump off our [backup] hand dug well to avoid submersion of the pressure tank and secondary pump. This year it's about 4-5 feet below normal levels, the lowest I've seen in the 10 years we've been here. Already there are voluntary water restrictions in effect and our "usual" window for such is months away.

I recall Val mentioning the drought they were experiencing last year and my wife's family in Texas [San Antonio] have been seeing the same for several years, as well. Given the global scope demonstrated in the maps/images you've posted is truly cause for concern, to say the least.

As wupy has stated, "we are living in interesting times."

Two for bringing much needed attention to a subject many are/were unaware of!

The BBC had a documentary I cap'd on Global Dimming from 2005 - scary and convincing, quality journalism. Just for fun, if you can check out the old "spoof" Alternative 3 from Apr 1 1977, do it. The weather in the mid-70's has many of the same aspects as the "cycle" we are currently experiencing. The enviro-story is "The Original" and one of the first attempts at "Conspiracy-genre" TV. And if you catch some of the recent ESA photos of Valles-Marineris maybe the "Mars" enviro-part of the "spoof" wasn't so far off either. Great post. Great links. Thanx.

Originally posted by 12m8keall2c
Regenmacher,
This year it's about 4-5 feet below normal levels, the lowest I've seen in the 10 years we've been here. Already there are voluntary water restrictions in effect and our "usual" window for such is months away.

Yeah, I have a good friend is near State College and she was complaining of all the rain last year and I kept saying be happy for water means life. Now that the climate has turned a 180º, it reminds me of the old saying " be careful what you wish for, it may come true". I hope the coming tropical season pumps in a lot of moisture or we will suffering in regards to agriculture production and fresh water resources.
_______________________________

Texas is starting early in the heat waves and blackouts department.
ATS's servers are based in Texas too.


More Texas Blackouts: Houston • Dallas • Waco

...RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT DALLAS FORT WORTH...

AT 453 PM...THE TEMPERATURE AT DFW AIRPORT REACHED 101 DEGREES. THIS
BREAKS THE OLD RECORD HIGH FOR APRIL 17 OF 94 DEGREES...SET IN 1913
AND 1925. THE TEMPERATURE MAY CLIMB FURTHER...AND AN UPDATED RECORD
EVENT REPORT WILL BE SENT IF NECESSARY. source

Texas drought impact currently worst in the nation.


More drought impact info here: droughtreporter.unl.edu...

•USDA Crop Weather
•USDA Commodity Forecasts

With Drought Comes Fire

click to enlarge image

•NCDC Climate of 2006 Wildfire Season Summary
•NIFC National Fire News
•NICC Fuels/Fire Danger

These extremes in climate will not only bear down on the economy , they are going to have a lot of emotionally based aspects to them. Perhaps the eastern proverbs has something in regards to "hot times and empty bellies makes hot heads".

Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS-NET)


[edit on 18-4-2006 by Regenmacher]

Wow!

Great research as usual! What in the world is happening? It does look to me that we are not long for this world.

I saw the China clips on tv and it was horrifying!

DG, It's been bone dry "more than the usual" here too and the monsoon season is apt to bring in some raging sandstorms. Suppose you don't miss the haboobs though.


2005 dust storm rides the Superstition Freeway - Mesa, AZ


Gansu Province, China - April 17, 2006


•336,000 tons of dust fall on Beijing
•Beijing creates downpour to clean streets


Gore's film doesn't seem so extreme in light of all this.
www.climatecrisis.net...

[edit on 18-4-2006 by Regenmacher]

I lived up the road in Tempe...This one was frightening!!!!!

Found this great link from NOAA also. Think its only going to get worst.

Last month was the driest March on record for five eastern states—New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. Twelve other East Coast states were much drier than average. Many East Coast locations had their driest March on record, such as New York's Central Park (0.80 in.), Wilmington, Del., (0.29 in.), Washington National Airport, (0.05 in.), Richmond, Va., (0.20 in.), and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (0.03 in.). At the end of March, moderate drought was present across large parts of the mid-Atlantic (North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware) according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

link

Originally posted by soficrow
...I just finished reading Ender's Game. Great book. One of the characters explains that a political/economic faction wants a global train wreck with total anarchy. And not the good kind of anarchy...

i agree, great book...

anyway, niiice post / research regenmacher...

i agree that this summer will be a very tuff one...

You have voted Regenmacher for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

I was just thinking here in Ohio, this time of year it usually rains almost everyday, but it has been dry and sunny. Everyone is enjoying the nice weather and doesn’t seem too concerned. I knew it was dry, but it is strange this is occurring all over the globe.

Add this to the list of things to worry about.

Great thread.

You have voted Regenmacher for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have one more vote left for this month.

If I were to imagine the 1930 Depression dustbowl, this is what it would look like.

So much for America's breadbasket. This is not looking good.

I'm thinking I'll stockpile seeds for growing sprouts.

And has been, most of today in some parts of Mongolia according to TV news and at some others times this winter/spring. Any one with "red-dust" snowfall pics? I've seen gray "snow" and "dalmation" snow in Sudbury before the "Super-stack" was built in the 70's, but never red or pink snow.

You have voted Regenmacher for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

well earned..., and well researched

Oklahoma was 100 degrees yesterday, and so far we are well short of rain...
I expect this year to make last year look like hurricane season...

we are having much less tornados though- yeah!

I have watched Oklahoma slowly return to a dust bowl... as farms are left fallow, dust soon follows...

We made thousands of lakes all over the state after the last dust bowl, and they have keep the wolf at bay...until now.

I am looking for land with a pond/creek on it, and as of this year, most have dried up... which means it is probably the same across the region.

whether it is manmade, or natural isn't really the question...
but will we survive?

You have voted Regenmacher for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

well earned..., and well researched

Oklahoma was 100 degrees yesterday, and so far we are well short of rain...
I expect this year to make last year look like hurricane season...

we are having much less tornados though- yeah!

I have watched Oklahoma slowly return to a dust bowl... as farms are left fallow, dust soon follows...

We made thousands of lakes all over the state after the last dust bowl, and they have keep the wolf at bay...until now.

I am looking for land with a pond/creek on it, and as of this year, most have dried up... which means it is probably the same across the region.

whether it is manmade, or natural isn't really the question...
but will we survive?

We have already had two dust storms like those in Arizona this year...

Originally posted by Regenmacher

•Beijing creates downpour to clean streets

Ummm.... I didn't know we could do that. Since when can we create a downpour, and why aren't we doing it to all of those red areas on the map?