Harm of sandstorm

There are many hazards of sandstorm: (1), human and animal deaths, building collapse and agricultural production reduction.

Production. Sandstorms are as harmful to people, animals and buildings as typhoons and tornadoes. 1993

On May 5, 2008, a serious sandstorm occurred in four northwestern provinces of China, resulting in 85 deaths and 3/kloc-0 missing, with direct losses as high as 540 million yuan. 1August, 999 14 Since the early morning, moderate-intensity sandstorms have appeared in Dunhuang and other areas in Hexi Corridor, Gansu Province. The instantaneous wind speed reaches 14 meter per second, and the visibility is between 200 and 300 meters. Sand and stones are flying like dusk, (casualties are still being counted). In the past five years, the northwest of China has been hit by sandstorms for more than 20 times, resulting in economic losses of more than 654.38+0.2 billion yuan, and more than 200 people have died and disappeared.

(2), air pollution, topsoil loss. Dust storms contain at least 38 chemical elements, which greatly increase the concentration of atmospheric solid pollutants and cause long-term and potential harm to the atmospheric environment, soil and agricultural production in the origin, surrounding areas and downwind areas. Especially after the meager topsoil on which crops depend is scraped away, the barren land will seriously affect the yield of crops.

4. Prevention of sandstorm:

The most important way to prevent and control sandstorms is to increase the vegetation coverage on the surface. Specifically, planting trees and grass and fixing sand. Since the founding of New China, the Three-North Shelterbelt connecting Northeast China, North China and Northwest China has planted trees and grass on the edge of the desert, which has played an important role in preventing and controlling sandstorms. According to the statistics of Yulin City, located in the north of Shaanxi Province, due to years of planting trees and grass, sandstorms have been reduced from 66 days a year in the 1950s to 5 days a year now.

Harm of sandstorm

The hazards of sandstorms are strong winds and dust. Its influence is mainly manifested in the following aspects:

1. Soil wind erosion, vegetation destruction, farmland burial.

2. Polluted air According to the monitoring network of the State Environmental Protection Administration, on the day of the strong sandstorm on March 20, the amount of dustfall per square meter in Beijing reached 20 grams, and the total suspended particles reached 20 micrograms per cubic meter 1 1 000, which was more than ten times the national standard and 1 000 times the normal value.

3. The impact of sandstorms on traffic is mainly manifested in the following aspects: First, the visibility is reduced, which affects driving and aircraft take-off and landing. For example, seven airports in South Korea were forced to close on March 22nd, and about 70 flights were forced to cancel on March 2nd1day. Second, sand and dust bury the roadbed and hinder traffic. According to China Business Daily, the train from Urumqi to Xi was blocked because the sandstorm buried part of the railway.

4. Affect the use and production of precision instruments.

5. There are many kinds of health damage caused by sandstorm, which is harmful to human health. Skin, eyes, nose and lungs are the first places to contact sandstorms and suffer the most. The damage of skin, eyes, nose, throat and other direct contact parts are mainly irritation symptoms and allergic reactions, while the lung manifestations are more serious and extensive. Seven years ago, American health scientists first suggested that there was a link between fine pollution particles and lung disease and heart disease death. Australia's "Time" said that sandstorms caused by soil wind erosion are the chief culprit of asthma in 2 million people in the country.

6. Causing weather and climate changes The impact of this sandstorm not only involves China 13 provinces, but also affects South Korea and Japan; 65438+1September 1998, a sandstorm originated in Kazakhstan, passed through a vast area in northern China, and transported a lot of dust to North America through high altitude; In April of 20001year, a strong sandstorm originated in Mongolia swept across the Pacific Ocean and the continental United States, and finally dissipated over the Atlantic Ocean. Such a large range of dust forms suspended particles in the sky, which is enough to affect the weather and climate. Because suspended particles can reflect solar radiation, thus reducing the atmospheric temperature. Because suspended particles greatly weaken the solar radiation (about 10%), the speed of the earth's water circulation may slow down and the precipitation will decrease; Suspended particles can also inhibit the formation of clouds, reduce the precipitation rate of clouds and reduce the water resources of the earth. It can be seen that dust may aggravate the drought.

Look at the following statistics, let us realize the urgency of preventing and controlling sandstorms.

China has 1500 km of railways, 30,000 km of highways and 50,000 km of irrigation canals damaged to varying degrees by sandstorms.

In recent years, the annual direct economic loss caused by sandstorms in China has reached 54 billion yuan, which is equivalent to three times the fiscal revenue of the five northwest provinces 1996.

Scientists have calculated that it will take more than 2,000 years to scrape off 18 cm thick topsoil on a grassland. For example, it takes 49 years to scrape off the same amount of topsoil on corn farmland; On bare ground, it only takes 18 years.

April and May are the high incidence periods of sandstorms in northern China. Please pay close attention to the weather forecast and prepare for sandstorm prevention in advance.

Benefits of sandstorm

Xia Tian, member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and executive vice president of the Association for Combating Desertification, reminded that sandstorms are harmful, and people should treat 132 correctly and actively seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.

According to Xia Tian, since April, the number of sandstorms in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has been significantly higher than in previous years, which has caused great losses to economic and social development and people's lives, especially to urban students 123. But human beings should treat sandstorm weather and sandstorm objectively and treat them correctly. In the face of sandstorm, it is useless to complain, fear and complain, because it is a natural phenomenon that does not depend on human will.