The continental dust machine
Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station sits in a vast, 39,000-hectare area in far western New South Wales. Operated by the University of New South Wales since 1966, this facility is positioned in one of the Southern Hemisphere's most significant dust source regions. The characteristic red dust, technically known as bulldust, is a fine, powdery silt with iron oxides, which give it its distinct color. This dust originates from the dry beds of ephemeral river systems and vast salt lakes, particularly the Lake Eyre Basin, one of the primary sources for major dust events.
The station's strategic location allows scientists to study these dust events at their source. Researchers use a variety of instruments to characterize the dust plumes. Sun photometers, part of NASA's global Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET), measure the properties of airborne particles as they pass overhead. Other instruments like nephelometers use laser light scattering to provide real-time data on dust concentrations. This ground-based data collection is important for understanding the scale and composition of dust storms that can travel for thousands of kilometers. During major events, these plumes form coherent masses of tan-colored clouds visible from space, carrying millions of tonnes of sediment off the continent.