Yellow Dust

I do think spring has sprung in these parts.  Last week was full of foggy, rainy and dusty days, but today blue sky has busted through.  Instead of fully enjoying it all, I am suffering from this annoying head cold which may have been brought on by the yellow dust that blew through Korea last week.

It is common this time of year for dust storms to kick up a mess of dust over in Mongolia, northern China and Kazakhstan and blow it all eastwards over Korean and Japan and sometimes as far as California.  And, it is aptly named Yellow Dust as the haze in the sky is tinted yellow and the residue left behind on windows or cars is yellow as well.

The yellow dust has been a weather phenomenon for centuries, but has gotten worse in the past decades due to industrial pollutants.  Poor Korea seems to get the worst of it too as we are the closest to China.  Air pollutant warnings are sent out and people are advised to limit outdoor activity on days like these.

As if the 10 million people living in Seoul proper don’t create enough pollution, yellow dust compounds it all to make eyes water, throats sore, and noses tickle.  That is why these lovely masks are so popular, especially on high yellow dust days:

**Both pictures, as usual, (not) taken by me.  Specifically the first one.