Journal of Spatial Analysis

The analysis of dust hazard studies in southwest region of Iran in 22 years (1996-2017)
Dust storms are natural hazards that mostly occur in arid and semi-arid regions and there are many harmful consequences. According to the topographic-climatic conditions in Iran and the significant increase in the number and severity of dust storms occurrence in recent decades, especially in the West and Southwest regions where the dust storms are the most important environmental crisis. Studying this phenomenon is necessary for better management its harmful effects.
Since most of the research are implemented as different case studies, and there is no comprehensive study that review a wide range of existing researches with overall results in the southwestern parts of Iran, in this study a comprehensive overview of available literature reviews are addressed including dust spatio-temporal variations, modeling, detection, and health issues.
This research is based on a library research and search of valid national and international scientific articles about the dust crisis and no data-processing. We attempted to analyze temporal and spatial variations in the south and southwest of the country using the available studies and the challenges of this phenomenon in the past and present to provide a new perspective to apply a comprehensive land management and managing environmental hazards in Iran with all the problems.
A review of the history of dust storm studies from information sources showed that most researchers (61.40%) used a synoptic method to study dust storms, and the most important indicators that were considered by the researchers in physical properties were frequency and density, 34.21% and 34.21% of the studies respectively.
Dust detection methods show that the use of thermal or reflective bands cannot detect dust phenomena with high precision, therefore, a model which applies both bands simultaneously should be developed. In other words, applying a combination of reflective and thermal
spectra of Military Origin Destination Information System (MODIS) could offer better
results in detection of dust storms in the study area. Studies indicate that most of the storms
originate outside of Iran. Moreover, exposure to airborne contaminants, especially when the
dust storms occur in the Middle East, can lead to an increase in the related disease outbreak
in the study area. For instance, there was a 70% increase in referring to medical centers for
lung related problems when a dust phenomenon occurred.
The Results showed that in cold seasons where low height and western waves is formed on the European and Mediterranean Sea, due to the heaviness, cold air in these days, can penetrate low latitudes and their trough is located over the Middle East area. Under warming condition, the front of rough is formed as ridge, then engendered turbulence and wind. In the warm seasons, thermal low pressure is rapt to ward in the high latitude, and severe dryness
of the area is also due to the fact that the dusty phenomenon is intensified in the area. Dust
storm occurrence in the summer due to bareness of the land, transparency of the atmosphere,
dryness of the air and the vast plains, which can reduce the formation of local instability in
the case of a sharp rise in air temperature. The dispersal of deserts and sand sea is mainly in
the northwest of Khuzestan province, especially in Fakkeh and Moussan which are located in the western borders of Iran with Iraq, which cover most of the Azadegan plain and west of the Karkheh and Mollasani and Maroon Rivers, and ultimately end in the Omidiyeh and Aghajari regions. Results show that the border between Syria and northwest Iraq, west and southwest of Iraq to east and northeast of Saudi Arabia are the main sources of dust in the studied region
. Synoptic conditions considering simultaneously with the occurrence of dust
storms showed the significant role of cyclonic systems in the occurrence and transfer of this
phenomenon. With the phenomenon occurrence during the warm period, the significant
strengthening in low pressure of Iraq along with the trough formation in Zagros causes the
formation and transfer of dust towards Southwest Iran. Simulation studies of dust particles
movement paths have shown that most of the paths are from the northern and central parts
of Iraq and Syria and the source of dust storms are deserts and dry regions of the northern
and central parts of Iraq and Syria. In addition, the study of the transmission paths of particles
in dust storms indicates the presence of a lower level jet, which causes horizontal
displacement of dust particles in a shallow layer and prevents its vertical propagation in the
higher layers of the atmosphere. In general, although the dust phenomenon is transnational
and uncontrollable, it can introduce limitations in terms of circulation patterns and statistical
properties at different time intervals to the different planners via its time and scope which
will necessitate appropriate programs for combating and adaptation.
Keywords: Dust, Air pollution, Spatio-temporal pattern, Southwest, Iran.