CU researchers say West is 500 percent dustier
A new study led by CU researchers indicates that the west has become 500 percent dustier in the last two centuries.
The increase in the amount of dust is a direct result of westward expansion and development in the U.S. and subsequent human activity, according to the research findings.
The study was led by assistant professor Jason Neff of CU’s environmental studies program, who said the increasing amount of dust can have serious implications.
“We have a lot of dust in the air in the western U.S.,” Neff said. “Excessive dust can cause health problems like allergic reactions and respiratory related problems.”
Other concerns are related to the impact of dust on the environment.
The research shows that dust blown on snow-covered mountains melts the snow faster by one month.
Neff said early spring snowmelt has a negative impact on the local agriculture, rivers and, essentially, on the ski industry.
“When the snow melts quickly, the spring ski season gets shorter and shorter,” he said.
Most of the research took place in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The extreme dust storms in the area during the winter and spring sparked the idea for the study, according to Neff.
The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s created by drought conditions and farming techniques is an example of a sharp increase in the amount of dust in the last century.
“The Dust Bowl is a perfect example of why there is so much dust in the West,” said Jordon Griffler, a sophomore environmental studies student that has studied the issue in class but has not had Neff as an instructor.
“All of the farming eroded the soil of the prairies over and over, which eventually caused dust sediments to settle in lakes,” he said. “The study makes perfect sense.”
Neff’s research was funded by the Andrew Mellon Foundation, which makes grants for conservation and environment related programs.
The study was done in collaboration with CU researchers Ashley Ballantyne and Corey Lawrence, as well as experts from Cornell University, the University of Arizona and the Center of Snow and Avalanche Studies.
Although constant dust particles in the air can lead to respiratory problems, the dust events researched by the team are more discrete storms that occur a couple times a year.
Ballantyne, a faculty member of the Geological Sciences department associated the dust storms in southwest with the acute exposure to dust suffered by rescue workers at the World Trade Center.
“I suspect that some people may be directly affected by this acute exposure to dust, but that all of us are affected indirectly through the pervasive dust deposition,” she said.
Although the large amount of dust in the West is a cause for concern, there is no plan of action to lessen the negative effects of the issue.
“Nothing can be done, really,” Neff said. “”I don’t have an answer to that.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Sarah Ruybalid at sarah.ruybalid@colorado.edu.
