Traveling Desert Sand: What equipment is used to measure sand storms

What is the primary function of the lasers mounted on the Falcon aircraft?

• To measure the mass, height, and width of sandstorms

• To navigate the aircraft

• To capture images of the desert

• To communicate with ground control

How does a photometer help in studying sandstorms?

• By recording sound waves in the desert

• By splitting sunlight into its basic components

• By measuring the temperature of the sand

• By capturing images of the sand particles

What is the role of the ground-based lasers in the study?

• To measure the temperature of the desert

• To capture images of the sandstorms

• To provide vertical measurements of the dust clouds

• To guide the Falcon aircraft

What did scientists discover about the thickness of the dust cloud over the desert?

• It varies greatly depending on the season

• It is consistently 5 kilometers thick

• It is thinner than expected

• It is thicker than 10 kilometers

Why are scientists concerned about the size of the dust particles?

• They are large enough to absorb significant energy from the sun

• They might block all sunlight from reaching the ground

• They are causing the desert to heat up rapidly

• They are too small to measure accurately