What is a Dust Devil
Dust Devils Are Common in Phoenix
If you are driving around town, and you see a plume of swirling dust rising up from the desert floor, you have just witnessed a dust devil. According to the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a dust devil is "an almost self-sustaining whirlwind that maintains a funnel-like chimney through which hot air moves both upward and circularly."
Dust devils are not tornadoes and are much smaller and less dangerous. Still, they can move pretty fast, and you don't want to be in their path or breathing the dust that is kicked up
by the dust devil. They will usually last only several seconds, but they can last longer. It is common to see several dust devils, one after the other, and you are most likely to see them when it is especially hot, and in open desert areas or flat areas. Dust devils are not related to
dust storms or to
monsoon
thunderstorms, and can occur any time it is hot and dry.
Dust devils are also known to form on Mars.
More About Dust Devils
Dust Devils: National Weather Service
Dust Devil Photos: Glendale Community College
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Dust Devil Photo © 2006 Stephen Forbes, reprinted with permission.
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