Center for Satellite and Earth Science Research

In The Media

News Reports:

George Mason University Research Releases:

Media Reports:


Eos (June 13, 2025): 

Fallowed Fields Are Fueling California’s Dust Problem 


NASA (April 30, 2025): 

Dusty Days Are Here Again for El Paso 

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154230/dusty-days-are-here-again-for-el-paso


The Lancet (April 8, 2025): 

Climate change fuels deadly dust storms worldwide 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(25)00123-7/abstract


Fortune (March 20, 2025): Also in Insurance Journal

Kansas highway pileup that killed 8 was caused by an impenetrable dust storm like one out of the 1930s ‘Dust Bowl’  

https://fortune.com/2025/03/18/kansas-highway-pileup-dust-storm


Associated Press (March 18, 2025): 

A highway pileup in western Kansas shows how dust storms can turn deadly 

https://apnews.com/article/kansas-dust-storm-2050868fa23c03f5e573df3d42154e4d

(Also in NBC, ABC, Dallas News, WNKY, etc)  


Eos (March 12, 2025): 

Will Its $154 Billion Price Tag Keep Dust from Being Swept Under the Rug? 


Environmental Health Perspective (January 22, 2025):  

Valley Fever: Fine Mineral Dust Modeling Points to High-Risk Regions and Seasons in California 

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP16213.


Fox News (September 5, 2024):

Valley fever outbreak reported after California music festival as health officials cite ‘hotspot’ 

https://www.foxnews.com/health/valley-fever-outbreak-reported-health-officials-california-music-festival

(also in WFIN and others) 


West Magazine (Stanford University) (August 23, 2024):

Rising from dead and dying lakes, western dust storms menace species, drivers, and public health 


Newswise (August 14, 2024):

Wildfires in the U.S. and Canada Remind Us That Health Impacts Defy Borders. 

https://d.newswise.com/articles/wildfires-in-the-u-s-and-canada-remind-us-that-health-impacts-defy-borders


NASA News (November 15, 2023):

Satellite Data Can Help Limit the Dangers of Windblown Dust. 

https://science.nasa.gov/earth/satellite-data-can-help-limit-the-dangers-of-windblown-dust/


FOX 5 (KSWB-TV, San Diego, CA, November 8, 2023):

San Diego-area health impacts from air pollution among worst in US: report 

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-news/san-diego-area-health-impacts-from-air-pollution-among-worst-in-us-report


American Thoracic Society (November 1, 2023):

Wildfires Impact Health Across Every Region in U.S. According to “Health of the Air” Report 

https://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/2023/health-of-air-report-2023.php


NASA News (October 6, 2023):

Air Quality Forecasts Get an Upgrade. 

https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/our-impact/story/air-quality-forecasts-get-upgrade


Yale Climate Connection (July 13, 2023):

Flu-like valley fever is on the rise. There’s a climate connection. 


National Geographic (May 30, 2023):

Are dust storms getting worse? Here’s why they’re so destructive. 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/are-dust-storms-getting-worse-heres-why-theyre-so-destructive


NPR St Louis (May 15, 2023):

Lessons from the sudden, fatal dust storm that caused a 72-vehicle pileup on 1-55 

https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2023-05-16/lessons-from-the-sudden-fatal-dust-storm-that-caused-a-72-vehicle-pileup-on-1-55


Latin Times (May 5, 2023):

Many Parts Of US Have Seen Increase In Dust Storm-Related Fatalities 

https://www.latintimes.com/many-parts-ushave-seen-increase-dust-storm-related-fatalities-543901


NBC News (May 4, 2023):

Dust storms have killed hundreds and are a growing problem in parts of the U.S. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/dust-storms-killed-hundreds-are-growing-problem-parts-us-rcna82889


The Weather Channel (May 3, 2023):

Dust Storm Traffic Deaths Are Undercounted, NOAA Study Shows 

https://weather.com/safety/news/2023-05-02-dust-storm-pileup-deaths-undercounted-illinois-crashes


The Week (May 2, 2023):

6 dead after rare Illinois dust storm causes highway pileup 

https://theweek.com/storms/1023170/6-dead-after-rare-illinois-dust-storm-causes-highway-pileup


Houston Chronicle (11 April 2023):

Spring is peak season for haboobs, dust storms in West Texas. Here’s why they happen and what to know. 

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-weather/article/dust-storms-texas-haboobs-17883605.php


AASHTO Journal (7 April 2023):

NOAA: Dust Storms Contribute To Higher Traffic Fatalities 

https://aashtojournal.org/2023/04/07/noaa-dust-storms-contribute-to-higher-traffic-fatalities


Fox Weather (8 April 2023):

Dust storms are more dangerous than previously thought. 

https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/study-travel-weather-deadly


NOAA Research (5 March 2023):

How deadly are dust storms? 

https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2984/How-deadly-are-dust-storms


New York Post (3 February 2023):

Valley fever fungal infection could spread from Southwest, doctors warn: ‘New cases emerging’ 

https://nypost.com/2023/02/03/valley-fever-could-spread-from-southwest-researchers-warn


Physics Today (9 December 2022):

Global observations and improved models track atmospheric dust  

https://physicstoday.scitation.org/do/10.1063/PT.6.1.20221209a/full


Nature (August 1, 2022):

Dust-up over dust storm link to ‘Valley Fever’ disease

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02089-w


NASA (April 15, 2022):

Monitoring Ozone and Tracking Red Tides

https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/our-impact/story/monitoring-ozone-and-tracking-red-tides


NOAA Research News (December 21, 2021):

New Dust Forecast Model Excels in Predicting Recent Dust Storms  

https://www.arl.noaa.gov/news-pubs/arl-news-stories/fengsha


NASA Climate Change (August 19, 2021):

A New Way to Track Dust Storms and Valley Fever: With Cake Pans  

https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3110/a-new-way-to-track-dust-storms-and-valley-fever-with-cake-pans


The Buzz in the Community (26 June 2021):

Drought and Dust. 

https://www.thebee.news/drought-dust


NASA News (April 10, 2021):

Building Connections for National Public Health Week. 

https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/our-impact/story/building-connections-national-public-health-week


Eos (2020):

Saving Lives by Predicting Dust Storms (December 14, 2020):

https://eos.org/articles/saving-lives-by-predicting-dust-storms  


CBS WUSA9 (June 30, 2020):

What is the Saharan dust storm and how could it affect our area?  

https://www.wusa9.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/q-and-a/what-is-the-saharan-dust-storm-and-how-could-it-affect-our-area/65-aec6f49e-e168-449f-89e1-a1414ee710ca


NASA News (April 7, 2020):

NASA Contributes to National Public Health Week:

https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/our-impact/news/nasa-contributes-national-public-health-week  


Documentary “Dust Rising” (by Lauren Schwartzman), featuring our research on dust and Valley fever, 2018; 
 
https://www.dustrisingfilm.com  


Sierra Magazine:

Summer of Sand: Massive dust storms known as haboobs transport toxic particles. (November 2, 2018). https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/summer-of-sand-haboob 


PBS NewsHour:

Why more dust storms and Valley fever are blanketing the Southwest: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/dust-storms-valley-fever-blanketing-southwest/  


Geographical (Royal Society of Geography): Dust up: storms and illness in North America 

http://geographical.co.uk/nature/climate/item/2289-dust-up  


NBC 4 News – KVOA: Warming Oceans are Creating More Dust Storms and Increasing Valley Fever in the Southwest, NOAA Study Says  
 
http://www.kvoa.com/story/35423063/warming-oceans-are-creating-more-dust-storms-and-increasing-valley-fever-in-the-southwest-noaa-study-says 


NOAA News: Spike in Southwest dust storms driven by ocean changes 

http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/spike-in-southwest-dust-storms-driven-by-ocean-changes 


Forbes: Dust Storms In The Southwestern U.S. Are Increasing. Is There A Connection To Valley Fever? 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2017/05/10/dust-storms-in-the-southwestern-u-s-are-increasing-is-there-a-connection-to-valley-fever/#7a5caed5440f


NBC 12 News: Are there more dust storms in Arizona now? 

http://www.12news.com/news/local/arizona/are-there-more-dust-storms-in-arizona-now/439375311 


AccuWeather: Are more dust storms in the southwestern US causing a spike in valley fever cases? 

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/are-more-dust-storms-in-the-southwestern-us-causing-a-spike-in-valley-fever-cases/70001897  


Voice of America (VOA) Farsi Division (January 23, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBFM7XanvWQ