Dust storm dumps on sea

The dust storm blows through the Sunsine Coast.

A DUST storm that blanketed NSW and south-east Queensland with an orange hue has dumped three million tonnes of dust into the Tasman sea, researchers have calculated.

A chain reaction with the soil's nutrients also means the affected areas were turbo-charged and captured eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide - an amount equivalent to the yearly emissions of a coal-fired power plant.

Strong winds kicked up on September 22 in far west NSW, which is accustomed to dust storms. But Sydneysiders woke up the following morning to conditions usually seen only on the planet Mars.

An orange fog reduced visibility, shut down harbour ferries and made conditions difficult for people with respiratory conditions.

The winds pushed the dust into southern Queensland and out across the Tasman Sea towards New Zealand.