Particle Image Velocimetry of a Dust Devil Observed in a Desert

Dust devils are small-scale atmospheric vortices that are often observed on deserts. Using a video of a dust devil that occurred in a close distance, this study attempts to apply Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to obtain flows in the dust devil for the first time. Images taken by two cameras enable us to connect a pixel size into actual length scale. The estimated maximum tangential wind and updraft in the dust devil are 16 m s-1 and 6 m s-1, respectively. These wind speeds are comparable to these of strong ones reported in previous observational studies.