Synoptic and remote sensing analysis of dust events in southwestern Iran

Ghasem, Azizi; Shamsipour, Aliakbar; Miri, Morteza; Safarrad, Taher

doi:10.1007/s11069-012-0328-9

Cited by 58 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…There are concerns as to why dust activity varies interannually, and whether natural or anthropogenic factors can intensify dust storm occurrences and, consequently air pollution, in the western provinces of Iran (Zoljoodi et al, 2013). Although several researches have been carried out to characterize the general features, dust sources and transport pathways of dust particles over Iran through ground-based measurements and satellite remote sensing (e.g., Ghasem, Shamsipour, Miri, & Safarrad, 2012;Nabavi, Haimberger, & Samimi, 2016;Najafi, Sarraf, Zarrin, & Rasouli, 2017;Omidvar, 2006;Rashki et al, 2017), the long-term interannual dust variation and its mechanism in western and southwestern Iran have not been adequately studied. In particular, it is of primary importance to quantify the impact of climate factors, such as wind speed and precipitation, on the interannual variation of dust activities such that the contribution of anthropogenic activities during a specific period can be further identified.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interannual variations of dust activity in western Iran and their possible mechanisms

Kamal

Lin

2019

Big Earth Data

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Through an analysis of station observations and reanalysis data, in this study, we investigate the variations of dust activity during 1979-2015 in western and southwestern Iran and their associated mechanisms. The dust day frequency (DDF) is used to identify dust activities. The results show larger interannual variabilities in the DDF in spring and summer, with standard deviations (σ) of 10% and 13%, respectively. Correlation analyses reveal that the interannual variability of DDF in western Iran is largely regulated by wind speed, precipitation and soil moisture in the region. The regional mean spring (March-May) DDF shows strong negative correlations with spring precipitation (correlation coefficient R = −0.5) and soil moisture (R = −0.6) over western to southwestern Iran, but strong positive correlations between the springtime DDF and surface winds can be found with the R reaching 0.4-0.6. Dust activity in the summer dry season (June-August) is mainly associated with surface winds over southwestern Iran, especially in regions near the Persian Gulf, where the R between the DDF and surface winds reaches 0.5. Meanwhile, the summer DDF also shows strong negative correlations (R < −0.4) with soil moisture of the top layer in the middle to southern part of the region. These results highlight the key roles of wind speed, precipitation and soil moisture in determining the interannual variation of dust activities in western and southwestern Iran.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interannual variations of dust activity in western Iran and their possible mechanisms

Kamal

Lin

2019

Big Earth Data

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“…Attempts to combat wind erosion with soil conservation measures have succeeded in reducing SDS in certain parts of the world (e.g., [7,8]) but in other areas there has been a recent marked increase in wind erosion and associated dust storms. These areas include parts of the Arabian Peninsula [9,10], the eastern Mediterranean [11,12], Lower Mesopotamia and adjacent regions [13], and parts of northeast Asia [14]. In some cases, the frequency and intensity of SDS have increased as a result of human activities, including soil surface disturbance, desertification and land degradation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation

2017

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Sand and dust storms (SDS) play an integral role in the Earth system but they also present a range of hazards to the environmental and economic sustainability of human society. These hazards are of considerable importance for residents of dryland environments and also affect people beyond drylands because wind erosion can occur in most environments and desert dust events often involve long-range transport over great distances (>1000 km). This paper makes an assessment of the scale of SDS impacts by totalling the countries affected using an appraisal of peer-reviewed published sources, arriving at a conservative estimate that 77% of all parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) are affected directly by SDS issues. We then present a synthesis of the environmental management techniques designed to mitigate SDS hazards for disaster risk reduction and review policy measures, both historical and contemporary, for SDS impact mitigation. Although many SDS hazards are well-known, the processes involved and their impacts are not all equally well-understood. Policies designed to mitigate the impacts of wind erosion in agricultural areas have been developed in certain parts of the world but policies designed to mitigate the wider impacts of SDS, including many that are transboundary, are geographically patchy and have a much shorter history. Further development and wider implementation of such policies is advocated because of the recent marked increase in wind erosion and associated dust storms in several parts of the world.

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“…A study over Iran indicates that dust outbreaks start to increase in May, peak in July and weaken in September using the TOMS data [11]. Ghasem et al [42] analysed dust events in southwestern Iran based on synoptic threehourly weather/dust data from twelve meteorological stations and remote sensing observations. Most dust events occurred in spring and summer while few dust events happened in autumn and winter, especially in December and January, when the atmosphere is unstable, and rainfall is likely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most dust events occurred in spring and summer while few dust events happened in autumn and winter, especially in December and January, when the atmosphere is unstable, and rainfall is likely. In the last few years, increasing dust events are associated with widespread drought periods or human factors, such as the construction of dams, agricultural activities and wars [42]. Furman [24] examined the dust sources and their temporal properties in the Middle East using synoptic data for a 21-year from 1973 to 1993.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatology of Iraqi dust events during 1980–2015

Attiya

Jones

2020

SN Appl. Sci.

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Mesopotamia in Iraq is exposed to dust events of different intensity because of adjacent extended desert or semi-desert areas. This study investigates the spatial-temporal distributions of dust events (including suspended dust, rising dust and dust storms) in Iraq by analysing dust observations based on visibility from seven meteorological stations supplied by the Iraqi Meteorological Organization (IMO) during 1980-2015. The annual and seasonal evaluation of all dust event frequencies is examined. The findings show that Iraq has been exposed to the maximum number of dust events in spring and summer seasons over the past 35 years. The dust was more active in summer compared with other seasons for the northern region of Iraq, while the south and central parts of Iraq are exposed to the largest frequency of dust storms in spring and summer. The cities near desert areas (e.g. Nasiriya, Basra and Baghdad) suffer from the greatest frequency of dust storms compared to the northern and eastern regions. According to the annual average during 1980-2015, the frequency of major dust storm activity in Nasiriya was 7.8 days, in Baghdad 3.1 days) and in Basra 2.3 days. Suspended dust is more frequent in Iraq compared with rising dust or dust storms. There was a greater frequency of dust events associated with high temperatures and wind speeds in the central and southern areas during summer. All three types of dust events show similar time trend distributions with three periods:

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Synoptic and remote sensing analysis of dust events in southwestern Iran

Cited by 58 publications

References 17 publications

Interannual variations of dust activity in western Iran and their possible mechanisms

Interannual variations of dust activity in western Iran and their possible mechanisms

Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation

Climatology of Iraqi dust events during 1980–2015

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