air pollution in china, beijing sandstorm, beijing smog, desertification, gobi desert

Skies Darken as China’s Worst Sandstorm in a Decade Chokes Beijing

China’s capital city woke up to dust-choked skies on March 15 as it experienced what its weather bureau has called the worst sandstorm in a decade. The thick dust shrouded Beijing’s iconic landmarks, including the Forbidden City, and downtown skyscrapers at times disappeared from view, enveloped by clouds of sand from the intense sandstorm. Traffic ...

David Clapp

A massive sandstorm in Beijing.