Journal of Spatial Analysis

---

Dust particles consist of important aerosols and resulting in blowing strong winds on the surface of desert areas. These particles enter the atmosphere under the influence of different factors including: weather condition (wind, precipitation and temperature), land surface (topography, humidity level, roughness and vegetation), soil features (texture, density, composition and land use (agriculture).

Today powerful dust storm destroys people lives and causes severe damages to their life and also causes financial problems in most regions of the world especially in west and southwest of Asia. Dust storm is one of the most important natural phenomena and also a kind of severe natural disaster that influence Iran and its west and southwest part. The location of Iran on the desert belt is accompanied by frequent increasing of sand and dust storm. Integral prediction of dust storm phenomena can be useful in decreasing damages caused by these storms. So synoptic-dynamic analysis of dust storms and their simulation play an important role in achieving to this goal.

In this research, we investigate severe dust storm in August 2005 that affected a large area of our country. Select of dusty days were based on minimum visibility and maximum durability of that dust storm. At first, we show the minimum of daily visibility table. These data has been provided by Meteorological Organization in 5 western cities. The synoptic maps were related to these phenomena derived from NOAA website and synoptic and dynamic interpretation has been done. We have got the data with resolution of 2.5 degree from NOAA website.

Then 700 hpa relative vorticity maps were drawn. We investigate MODIS images instrument on Aqua satellite and evaluate the amount of mass concentration of dust particles. Then the Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model has been used to determine the backward trajectory of dust particles. We run HYSPLIT model by GDAS data with a resolution of 0.5 degrees. At last we investigate the output of the WRE-CHEM model. This model was run to simulate dust storms in 7-10 August and FNL data with a resolution 1 degree use for initial and boundary conditions. WRF-CHEM is used to simulate dust condition and transmission. As a part of WRF model, its main application is the study of atmosphere chemistry.

At 500 hpa a very strong ridge entered Iran from the southwest. It covered all areas of our country which prevents the transference of dust to high levels of atmosphere. In 700 hpa relative vorticity maps show one day before dust storm reach to Iran a Positive voriticity is located in Iraq and Syria. So dust comes up to higher levels of the atmosphere and in dusty days in our country. There is a negative voriticity located in our country and because of downside movement of the air, dust storm happen in Iran.

Dust loading and friction velocity of outputs of the model has been drawn in dusty days. The time series of dust concentration of output models for Tabriz are compared with the concentration data of Environmental Organization of visibility data. Result show that a low pressure system is located over the Oman sea that its blaze has been extended to the northwest of Iran. On the other hand a high pressure center is located in the Europe that extended to the east of Mediterranean. So strong pressure gradient were in Iraq and Syria and they caused the creation of strong winds in their deserts which caused dust emission.

Friction velocity related to the model outputs show that the velocity of wind is high in dusty days in Iraq and Syria. So conditions are suitable for dust raining. Satellite images showed that WRF/CHEM model is simulated very well in emission, source, diffusion and the extent of the areas covered with dust. Comparing MP10 concentration of the model output with and Environment Organization data of Tabriz city show that WRF/CHEM model forecast daily changes well. But model underestimate significantly in quantity of concentration. This error may be due to a model considering only dust quantity but other pollutants affected on visibility. In general it can be said that in this event, dust concentration has been underestimated by WRF/CHEM model especially in maximum amount of PM10 concentration.

---

 Investigation of the daily minimum visibility meteorological conditions using RVR data at IKA airport during 2013-2014
Hatami, J. ¹, Sabetghadam, S. ^2*, Ahmadi-Givi, F. ^3
1M.Sc. Student, Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
²Assistant Professor, Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
³Associate Professor, Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran
 
Abstract
Atmospheric visibility is defined as the greatest distance at which an observer can see a black object viewed against the horizon sky, which is usually known as visual range. It shows the degree to which the atmosphere is transparent to visible light, therefore its impairment results from light scattering and absorption that can originate from natural or anthropogenic sources.  Visibility is an important atmospheric parameter in landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Reduced visibility due to snow, rain, fog, and haze is an important consideration in the landing and takeoff of aircraft. Visibility and the related quantity Runway Visible Range (RVR) are meteorological parameters that are crucial for the operations at an airport. The Runway Visible Range is defined as the range over which the pilot of an aircraft on the centre line of a runway can see the runway surface marking or lights delineating the runway or identifying its centre line. A large number of aviation accidents are happened cause many passengers to die. Today, safety is very important in aviation. In fact, it is a competitive factor among aviation companies. Measuring the exact visual range is one of the most important factors in flight security. According to the international standards, whenever the visual range is less than a certain threshold for runways, take-off and landing will not be authorized, and pilots will be ordered land on an alternative airport that costs airlines a lot of expenses.
   One of the methods in determining the runway visual range is to use instruments such as transmisometer and forward scaterometer to measure the amount of scattering and absorption of light by the atmosphere. A transmissometer measures the extinction of light over an atmospheric path between an emitter and a receiver and it  is directly related to the extinction. A forward scatter meter measures the amount of light scattered by a small measurement volume. RVR instruments usually locate at three places across each runway that is mandatory for operation in international airports.
    For the first time in Iran, data obtained from the RVR system from Imam Khomeini International Airport are applied in this study to examine the circumstances under which the runway visual range reached its minimum during two years 2013 and 2014. The high accuracy of these devices is a valuable factor for researchers to get more precise results. The data used include visibility range, temperature, dew point temperature, humidity, wind speed and wind direction, which are measured using the RVR system.  The main part of this study concentrates on fast decreases of RVR, meaning a decrease of visibility to below 1500 m which takes more than 10 minutes. Therefore some cases of RVR data have been investigated in more detail utilizing one-minute observations are presented. For these cases, some meteorological parameters are investigated before and after  this fast decrease of RVR occurred. These parameters as well as RVR are plot to find out what happened before and during each specific event.
    Results show that the critical low visibilities were mainly occurred in May and March and no cases of low visibility were seen between July to September. This can be due to the impact of more atmospheric systems and variable weather conditions in the relatively cold months. The highest visibilities were mostly occurred in July-September, due to the weakness of atmospheric systems and their less frequency of occurrences. Low visibility days were usually accompanied by dust, fog, mist and precipitation events.During 2013 and 2014, categorizing the weather events that may lead to the decrease of visibility to less than 1500 meter, shows that the 45 percent of the cases with the low visibilities caused by by dust, 35 percent by haze, 15 percent by fog and 5 percent caused by haze.
    For the critical cases, case studies show that the high relative humidity and the change of wind direction were also favored in the occurrence of low visual range. Case studies of the events suggest that these factors differ from one another based on how they are formed. After the fast decreases of RVR, the relative percentage of RVR events show an increasing in relative humidity especially during fog and precipitation.
 
Keywords: runway visual range, scattering and absorption of light, low visibility.
 
 

 

---

---

Synoptic analysis of the changes trend of the share of systems due to the Sudan low
In the cold period of the Persian Gulf coast during 1976-2017


 Introduction
In the Ethiopian-Sudan range forms the low pressure system without front in the cold and transition seasons that is affecting the climate of the adjacent regions by crossing the Red sea. Based on the evidence in the context of Iran, studying Sudan low was first begun by Olfat in 1968. Olfat refers to low pressures which are formed in northeastern Africa and the Red Sea and then pass Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf, enter Iran, and finally, cause rainfall. The most comprehensive research specifically examining Sudan low, was the work carried out by the Lashkari in 1996. While he studying the floods that occurred in southwestern of Iran, he was identified Sudan low by the most important cause of such flooding and he explained how they are formed, and how these low-pressure systems were deployed on the southwest of Iran.

 Materials and methods
The study period with long-term variations was considered from 9.5 to 11 years based on solar cycles. Precipitation data for 13 synoptic stations are considered above 5 mm in south and southwestern Iran. With three criteria were determined for the days of rainfall caused by each type of atmospheric system. The visual analysis of high and low altitude cores and geopotential height at 1000 hPa pressure level (El-Fandy, 1950a; Lashkari, 1996; 2002) were considered based on the aim of the study. Accordingly, the approximate locations of activity centers, as well as the range of the formation and displacement of the Sudan system were initially identified based on the location of the formation of low and high-pressure cores. Then, the rainy days due to the Sudan system in January were separated from the precipitation of the other atmospheric system.

 Results and discussion
According to the selected criteria in the forty-year statistical period, 507 precipitation systems were identified with different continuities that led to precipitation in the northern coast of the Persian Gulf. The pattern of independent Sudan low rainfall was responsible for 77% of the precipitation in the Persian Gulf. Decade frequency share of Sudan low was lower in the first decade (16%) compared to the next three decades. This system of rainfall was more activated during the second and third decades compared to the first decade. However, rainfall changes were not evident in the mid-decade. Independent Sudan low precipitation provide 25% and 27% of the cold season precipitation of the Persian Gulf during the second and third decades respectively. In accordance with the 24th solar cycle, at the end of the study period, the Sudan low was more effective on the Gulf coast than ever before. During this decade, 125 cases of Sudan low rainfall was recorded for the Persian Gulf. Thus, the frequency of Sudan low during the fourth decade was about 31%, which was higher than in the rest of the decade. Overall, the Sudan low rainfall was repeated 151 times for 2 days rainfall, during the statistical period studied. This Precipitation has increased over the last decades compared to other periods.

 Conclusion
The severe variability of rainfall along the timing and location of the permanent Persian Gulf coasts can have a significant impact on the economic and agricultural behavior of the Gulf population in the three provinces of Ahwaz, Bushehr and Hormozgan.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the precipitation changes due to Sudan low in the Persian Gulf coastal region during the cold period. The results of this study showed that the role of integration patterns in influencing the precipitation of the Persian Gulf coast has decreased with the strengthening and further activation of the Sudan low system during the last two decades. That way, about 77percent of the region's rainfall is provided by independent Sudan low. At the end of the course (in accordance with 24th solar cycle activity) the Sudan low system was more active than before. Although the Sudan low activity was different at each station during the period studied, but in the historical passage incremental and decade's positive behavior of Sudan low was common to all stations. Evaluation of changes in rainfall duration shows that the pattern of precipitation with 2days duration is more frequent than the patterns of one to several days.

Keywords: Sudan low- Solar cycle- Persian Gulf.