In October 2007, strong, dry Santa Ana winds raised a major dust plume and several minor plumes on the Baja California peninsula. The light brown dust spread west to the Pacific Ocean (image top right). Because they are warm, dry, and strong, Santa Ana winds reduce soil moisture and famously promote dust storms such as this.
Thick dust plumes blow eastward out of Syria and change direction over Iraq, some blowing south toward Saudi Arabia and some blowing north toward Turkey.