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 Desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions where little precipitation occurs and which are sometimes called polar deserts or "cold deserts". Deserts can be classified by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by their geographical location.