What is the difference between haze, floating dust, blowing sand and sandstorms?

Weather phenomena such as sandstorms, blowing sand, and floating dust are all caused by the influence of a large number of extremely fine dust particles or smoke particles floating in the air, causing the effective horizontal visibility to be less than 10KM. Sometimes it is difficult for meteorological professionals to distinguish. Only by comprehensive analysis and judgment combined with factors such as weather background, sky conditions, air humidity, color and smell, and satellite monitoring can we draw correct conclusions.

The weakest weather is called floating dust. Floating dust is caused by fine particles such as dust floating in the air after a sandstorm or blowing sand occurs in a remote or local area. It is commonly known as "falling yellow sand" and appears when distant objects It is earthy yellow, the sun is pale or light yellow, the visibility is less than 10 kilometers and more than one kilometer, and there is basically no obvious wind. Atmospheric particles with a diameter less than 0.1 microns are called floating dust.

Blowing sand and sandstorms are caused by the dust and sand on the surface of a specific area being blown up by the violent activity of atmospheric currents. Its common characteristics are significantly reduced visibility and turbid sky. The two mostly appear when cold air passes through in northern spring. The difference is that the visibility affected by blowing sand weather is about 1 km to 10 km. The visibility in sandstorm weather is even less than 1 kilometer.