Science View S2013E02 - The Science of Yellow Dust

On today's The Leading Edge, we focus on yellow dust: huge dust clouds that travel to Japan from East Asia's dry interior. Yellow dust is a phenomenon that occurs in Japan every spring, brining with it a fair amount of trouble. In Tokyo yellow dust causes a haze that disrupts economic activity and affects people's health. But up until now, there were many things scientists did not understand about yellow dust. Now, research has revealed some surprising facts. This is not your average dust! In fact, some scientists are now referring to it as a microbial ark or an airborne chemical plant. Scientists also believe studying yellow dust could help us learn more about the global environment and maybe even help us prevent global warming. Join us as we take a detailed look at yellow dust!