Australian Dust Storm Activity from 356 Monitoring Stations

Dust storm activity across Australia is mapped using observations from 356 monitoring stations. The data underpins the 2016 State of the Environment Land theme report and was sourced from Dustwatch Australia. The primary published map covers 2011, with historical data referenced for years 2001 to 2009.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of dust storm frequency across Australia using station location data.
• Assess changes in wind erosion activity over time by comparing 2011 data with historical records from 2001-2009.
• Model dust transport and deposition by correlating station observations with meteorological data.
• Evaluate land management effectiveness in reducing erosion by mapping dust activity in different regions.

Strengths

• Observations from 356 monitoring stations provide a continental-scale network.
• Data is linked to a published government report (Australia State of the Environment 2016).
• Historical context is available through referenced data spanning 2001 to 2009.

Limitations

• The primary mapped data covers only a single year (2011), limiting temporal analysis.
• The exact number of observations per station and measurement metrics are not specified.
• Data from 2001-2009 is referenced but not directly provided in this package.

Provenance

Source

Dustwatch Australia, as cited by the Department of Environment and Energy.

Collection Method

Monitoring station observations compiled for the State of the Environment report.

Time Range

Primary map data is for 2011; historical data referenced for 2001-2009.

Freshness

null

Geography

Australia, continental coverage.