Outflow boundary a downburst. "Gustnadoes", short-lived vertical circulations near ground level, can be spawned by outflow boundaries. Gust fronts create low-level wind shear which can be hazardous to planes when they takeoff or land. Flying insects are swept along by the prevailing winds. As such, fine line patterns within weather radar imagery, associated with converging winds, are dominated by insect returns. At the surface, clouds of dust can be raised by outflow boundaries. If squall lines form over arid regions, a duststorm known as a haboob can result from the high winds picking up dust in their wake from the desert floor.
Desert ecology climate of most desert regions is a major obstacle in conducting research into these ecosystems. In the environments requiring special adaptations to survive, it is often difficult or even impossible for researchers to spend extended periods of time investigating the ecology of such regions. To overcome the limitations imposed by desert climates, some scientists have used technological advancements in the area of remote sensing and robotics. One such experiment, conducted in 1997, had a specialised robot named Nomad travel through a portion of the Atacama Desert. During this expedition, Nomad travelled over 200 kilometres and provided the researchers with many