After the Dust Settles

In arid regions around the world, dust and sand storms are common.

They typically whip up along large gust fronts and swirl into storm systems, wreaking havoc with air traffic, as well as with life on the ground.

Just such a storm roared across the Arabian Peninsula in early March 2009, blanketing cities across the region, including Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, pictured here.

Photo credit: Associated Press