How fast does moon dust build up?
A lunar dust detector left by the Apollo 12 astronauts is helping to answer this question. It would take 1000 years for a layer of dust 1mm thick to accumulate on the surface of anything left there.
https://www.space.com/23694-moon-dust-mystery-apollo-data.html
So, not exactly a dust storm going on there.
IDK, Paul. Later in that same article you linked there was this:
"But that's not enough to account for what we measured," O'Brien said. The concept of a "dust atmosphere" on the moon could explain where the particles come from, the researchers said.
According to this theory, moon dust particles on the daytime side of the moon can build a positive charge when radiation from the sun kicks electrons out of atoms of dust. But on the side of the moon that's dark, dust particles can gain a negative charge when they are bombarded with electrons from the solar wind. Where the dark and light sides meet, electric forces could levitate this charged dust high off the lunar surface, the researchers said.
"Something similar was reported by Apollo astronauts orbiting the Moon who looked out and saw dust glowing on the horizon," Hollick explained.
NASA's latest moon orbiter, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer, or LADEE, which launched in September, could shed light on this levitating dust. At 155 miles (250 kilometers) above the surface of the moon, the spacecraft is looking for dust in the lunar atmosphere."
So again, there is the electrostatic field effect at play.
In that article they also indicated that the 1000yr estimate was '10 times faster than scientists had believed before'
Since they are working with 40yr old (limited) data to begin with, I feel the actual margins may have an even shorter duration for the dust to accumulate.
Perhaps even another 10 times faster than the 1000yr estimate, and to be clear- that is precisely what that is 'an estimate'.
There is probably only one sure way to find out, and that would be to either send a probe or another manned mission, to measure any accumulations on previous instrumentation left on the surface.
The Chinese, recently landed another probe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'e_3
And that action was useful for the LADEE, mission as mentioned in the article you linked because-
'the descent of the Chang'e 3 spacecraft was expected to increase the content of lunar dust in the tenuous lunar exosphere, as well as introduce gases from engine firings during landing. Although there is no formal cooperation between NASA and the China National Space Administration, the landing provided an opportunity for NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission to examine possible changes to the baseline readings of the Moon's exosphere, and will allow it to study how dust and spent propellant gases settle around the Moon after a landing.For example, one of the lander's combustion byproducts is water vapor, and LADEE may be able to observe how lunar water is deposited in cold traps near the poles.'
And since the 1000yr. article that you linked derived it's 'estimate' from old data gathered prior* to the launching of the LADEE mission, it would be of interest to know what the results of the LADEE, mission was with regards to the subject at hand.
tl;dr = There is an ongoing dust storm on the Moon.
