
Amid the madness of this year's psychedelic symposium at Black Rock Desert, Burning Man participants on Tuesday found themselves absorbing the brunt of a punishing dust storm.

Pictures of the festival show the 'community' inundated with thick choking clouds of sand, with some well prepared participants using gas-masks to fight through the earthly gust while others seem to embrace the natural phenomenon.

Day three of the event has seen tens of thousands facing massive traffic jams to get to a remote stretch of Nevada desert for the annual Burning Man festival.

Burning Man participants cling to the top of a 20 foot high art project pyramid tower called 'The Tower of !Babel' in the midst of a driving desert dust storm

Burning Man participants perform a shibari rope scene during a driving desert dust storm inside the heart of the 'Identity Awareness - Family' art project

Burning Man participants dance to the music in the midst of a driving desert dust storm on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man

The highly-anticipated art and music festival runs over nine days from Sunday until September 4 in Black Rock Desert, which is about 120 miles north of Reno.

Black Rock City has been transformed into a 'metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance' where about 70,000 people have descended upon.

In a matter of days, volunteers for the event built what is likely to be the state's busiest airport in the middle of an ancient dry lake-bed.

The airport, formally known as 88NV, is built every year and averages as many as 800 takeoffs and landings a day before it's taken down completely at the end of the event.

Burning Man participants who go by the 'Playa Names' Coy (L) and Vance (R) in the midst of a driving desert dust storm on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Two Burning Man participants who had just been caught in a driving desert dust and rain storm laugh at how dusty they have become

Burning Man participant Kai Rey of Sebastopol, California dances alone amidst the 'Field of Fairies' art project to the sound of music from distant art cars in the midst of a desert dust storm

Burning Man participants dance to the music of an art car in the midst of a desert dust storm on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man

Burning Man participants dance on and around 'The Penetrator' art car near the effigy of "The Man" (L) as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world participate in the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Participants march in costumes as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Participant David Huffman is covered by dust as he enjoys the annual Burning Man festival

The highly-anticipated art and music festival runs over nine days from Sunday until September 4

A reveller wears a mask as he dances during the annual Burning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada

Burning Man is an annual gathering that takes place at Black Rock City, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert

Festival-goers relax in 'The Temple' during the event attended by around 70,000 people

Participants read the memorials in The Temple as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

A couple is married at the festival where around 70,000 are expected to attend

Pippa Sutherland (L) and AJ Bertenshaw dance during the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Participants watch the sunset as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the festival

Participants perform on aerial silks as approximately 70,000 people turned out for the festival

According to the event's website, dozens of art installations were constructed before the end of the weekend, some made from wire, others as patterns on the ground and some as immersive experiences.

Stunning photographs show the larger-than-life art installations that are the focal points of this year's festival theme of Radical Ritual.

The Radical Ritual theme this year is to honor rituals that humankind has made, including the festival.

The event's website says: 'Burning Man is permeated with rituals. These rites speak of soulful need; the desire to belong to a place, to belong to a time, to belong to one another, and to belong to something that is greater than ourselves, even in the midst of impermanence.

'Throughout all ages temples have been built in order to induce these feelings.'

Burning Man participant 'Mama Jax" (L) smiles from the back of 'The Penetrator' art car on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Burning Man participants bicycle past the 'Thunderbirds' art project by James Tyler in the midst of a desert dust storm as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world participate in the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man festival

Burning Man participant Denise Winkler of Dresden, Germany attaches a remembrance tag to 'The Shrine of Lost Moments' created by Berlin, Germany burners to honor the victims of Germany's Christmas Market attack

Burning Man participant Winkler offers a remembrance tag to be written on and added to 'The Shrine of Lost Moments'

Burning Man participant Rita Poutivskaia of San Francisco ties a remembrance of her late grandmother to 'The Shrine of Lost Moments'

Burning Man participant Lauren Rock (R) recites her vows as she marries fiance Bob Peterson (L) in front of the 'Mucaro' owl art project

Burning Man participant Lauren Rock (R) throws her bouquet after she married Bob Peterson (L) in front of the 'Mucaro' owl art project

Burning Man participants look at the effigy of "The Man," which will be burned at the culmination of Burning Man 2017

The Burning Man art car 'Snailoon' drives through a desert dust storm on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada

Burning Man participants brave a desert dust storm on the 2nd day of the annual Burning Man which expects to see 70,000 participants arrive in Nevada

According to the event's website, dozens of art installations were constructed before the end of the weekend, some made from wire, others as patterns on the ground and some as immersive experiences

Jen Van Schmus plays kickball on the Playa as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Pili Montilla wears a headdress as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

Participants gather in the shade of the art installation Tree of T?©n?©r?© as approximately 70,000 people from all over the world gathered for the annual Burning Man arts and music festival

And so it begins: The annual Burning Man Festival kicked off on Sunday in Nevada where thousands of attendees plan to participate in the iconic event that features larger-than-life art installations, like the one pictured above

Let's go: The highly-anticipated art and music festival runs over nine days from Sunday until September 4. Above two people ride in a golf cart that has been transformed into resemble a giant stuffed animal

Furr-real: Stunning photographs show the larger-than-life art installations that are the focal points of this year's festival theme of Radical Ritual. The art installation above of the family of bears was created from thousands of pennies

Roar: Black Rock City has been transformed into a 'metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance' where about 70,000 people have descended upon. Pictured above is a multi-passenger car transformed into art

Hot: The popular event takes place in Black Rock City, which is about 120 miles north of Reno. Pictured above is one of the many cars transformed into art

Colorful: According to the event's website, dozens of art installations were constructed before the end of the weekend. Above one of the art installations is displayed for the event

Spectacular: The vehicle on the left has to be one of the most detailed art cars created, with hand done wood work on the outside

Excitement: Pictured above are the art cars lining up to register with the Burning Man Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Ready to move: Vehicles are vigorously inspected and, depending on their functionality, will be issued a daytime or nighttime permit from the Burning Man DMV

Amazing: The art car above seems to be a platform transformed into a huge, shaded tent with pillows for guests to relax on

Exercise: Outside of art cars, during the popular event, many 'Burners' use bicycles to explore the make-shift city in the desert

Creepy: Some of the art installations are made from wire, as others are patterns on the ground like the one pictured above of rats. The metal cut outs of the creepy rodents rotate with the wind

Captivating: Prior to the event starting on Sunday, artists worked hard to complete their art pieces to have their displays ready

Creative: A make-shift pier has even been created for the festival, as there is a shark emerging from the sand at the end of it

Every year, several 'temples' are built according to a theme and on the last day, they are burned down in a ritualistic ceremony.

The festival, which began in 1986 as a bonfire, has erected a temple commemorating the Golden Spike and participants are invited to visit the shrine and make offerings that embody what Burning Man's culture means to them.

The premise of the Burning Man festival is that almost everything is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the experience.

Since money is practically outlawed on the site, 'Burners' are urged to barter for commodities and in the past fans have taken to social media to swap items such as crystals for festival tickets.

Dusty: As thousands of people descend upon Black Rock City, the playa is sure to become extra dusty

Education: The Earth Guardians are a volunteer based group and their mission is to educate burners on the Leave No Trace principals and ways they can help keep the playa pristine. This photo is of their first major coordination meeting

Ready to guard: Above two Earth Guardians pose for a picture outside of their meeting at the event

A refresher course on performing environmental compliance checks was conducted among the Earth Guardians

The remote week-long rave is often described as 'where Mad Max meets Woodstock'.

Thirty years after its first incarnation, the event is populous with tens of thousands of people attending the dried up lake where the event is held which becomes Black Rock City.

However, the festival risked relocation this year due to a pool of standing water, prompting officials in June to warn there was a possibility that the event could be moved from its location two hours north of Reno in Gerlach.

The desert basin is transformed into mud every year by the run-off of melting snow, but this past season's high precipitation formed the lake, causing fears that the playa would be muddy and impossible to drive across.

Safety first: There are a few stations set up around the playa as contact points to answer questions or provide assistance to participants. This is the law enforcement mobile trailer

Learning and living: One of the many things done during the event is outreach. Above the BLM Interprative Camp crew is pictured setting up their camp

BLM Law Enforcement officers are spread out through Black Rock City to also answer questions and assist those in need