Evaluation of the Origin and Synoptic Analysis of Dust Storm Phenomena Using Satellite Image Processing in Western Iran

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 419 - 427

Ali Ibrahim Zaghir , Khalil Valizadeh Kamran , Sadra Karimzadeh

https://doi.org/10.26833/ijeg.1576113

Abstract

This study investigates the identification and analysis of dust sources using satellite imagery and synoptic meteorological data, focusing on a significant dust event originating from Syria on September 1, 2015. Visual interpretation of satellite images, complemented by the Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) index, confirmed the accuracy of dust source identification. The analysis revealed that an active low-pressure system in the eastern Mediterranean facilitated dust formation due to low humidity conditions. Dust movement was predominantly directed from northwest to southeast, impacting regions in southwestern Iran, including Kermanshah, Ilam, and Khuzestan. Additionally, the study examined wind patterns, demonstrating how zonal and meridional winds contributed to dust transport and dissipation. A comparative analysis of vegetation cover over a decade indicated a significant decline at the dust formation site, suggesting a correlation between reduced vegetation and increased dust emissions. This research underscores the complex interplay between atmospheric dynamics and regional environmental changes, highlighting the need for further investigation into the long-term impacts of vegetation loss on dust storm frequency and intensity. The findings aim to enhance our understanding of dust storm mechanisms and inform strategies for mitigating their adverse effects on human health and the environme

Keywords

Dust storms, MODIS sensors, Terra and Aqua, Monitoring and synoptic analysis

References

• Sivakumar, M. V. K. (2005). Impacts of sand storms and dust storms on agriculture. In M. V. K. Sivakumar, R. P. Motha, & H. P. Das (Eds.), Natural Disasters and Extreme Events in Agriculture (pp. 159-177). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28307-2
• Abbasi, H., Rafiei Emam, A., & Rouhi Pour, H. (1999). Analysis of the origin of dust in Bushehr and Khuzestan using satellite images. Forest and Rangeland Quarterly, 78, 48-51. Zolfaghari, H., & Abedzadeh, H. (2005). Synoptic analysis of dust storms in western Iran. Journal of Geography and Development, 6, 27.
• Raeispour, K. (2008). Statistical and synoptic analysis of dust phenomenon in Khuzestan (Master's thesis, Climatology in Environmental Planning, University of Sistan and Baluchestan), p. 157.
• Maghrabi, A., Alharbi, B., & Tapper, N. (2011). Impact of the March 2009 dust event in Saudi Arabia on aerosol optical properties, meteorological parameters, sky temperature and emissivity. Atmospheric Environment, 45(12), 2164-2173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2011.01.018
• Mie, D., Xiushan, L., Lin, S., & Ping, W. (2008). A dust-storm process dynamic monitoring with multi-temporal MODIS data. In the International Archives of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences (Vol. XXXVII, Part B7, pp. 965–969). https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XXXVII-B7-965-2008
• Tsolmon, R., Ochirkhuyag, L., & Sternberg, T. (2008). Monitoring the source of transnational dust storms in North East Asia. International Journal of Digital Earth, 1, 119-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/17538940701782593
• Solomos, S., Ansmann, A., Mamouri, R.-E., Binietoglou, I., Patlakas, P., Marinou, E., & Amiridis, V. (2017). Remote sensing and modelling analysis of the extreme dust storm hitting the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean in September 2015. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17, 4063–4079. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-4063-2017
• Darvishi, B. A., Kazemi, Y., Sadeghi, A., Nadizadeh, S. S., & Argany, M. (2020). Identification of dust sources using long term satellite and climatic data: A case study of Tigris and Euphrates basin. Environmental Pollution, 263, 114404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114404
• Darvishi Boloorani, A., Papi, R., Soleimani, M., Al-Hemoud, A., Amiri, F., Karami, L., Neysani, S. N., Bakhtiari, M., & Mirzaei, S. (2023). Visual interpretation of satellite imagery for hotspot dust sources identification. Computers in Earth Sciences, 235, 1963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgs.2022.1963
• NASA Earth Observatory. (2007). Dust storm over Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. Retrieved from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/18388/dust-storm-over-syria-turkey-and-iraq
• ResearchGate. (n.d.). Satellite image of dust storm: a) Composite map of pressure and wind vector at 850 hPa. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Satellite-image-of-dust-storm-a-b-composite-map-of-pressure-and-wind-vector-at-850hPa_fig3_350008218
• Valizadeh Kamran, K. and Khorrami, B.: Change Detection and Prediction of Urmia Lake and its Surrounding Environment During the Past 60 Years Applying Geobased Remote Sensing Analysis, Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLII-3/W4, 519–525, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLII-3-W4-519-2018, 2018.
• Nasir, S. M., Kamran, K. V., Blaschke, T., & Karimzadeh, S. (2022). Change of land use/land cover in kurdistan region of Iraq: A semi-automated object-based approach. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, 26, 100713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2022.100713
• Rezaeimoghadam, M., Valizadeh Kamran, K., Rostamzadeh, H., & Rezaee, A. (2013). Evaluating the Adequacy of MODIS in the Assessment of Drought (Case Study: Urmia Lake Basin). Geography and Environmental Sustainability, 2(4), 37-52.
• Çörek Öztaş, Ç., & Karaaslan, Ş. (2018). Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemleri (CBS) İle İlçeler Düzeyinde Kırsallık Kademelerinin Hazırlanmasına Yönelik Bir Yöntem Önerisi. Geomatik, 3(2), 163-182. https://doi.org/10.29128/geomatik.376253
• Gündüz, M. (2025). Kilistra ignimbiritlerinin uzaktan algılama yöntemleriyle yeniden haritalanması ve Beyşehir Havzası’nın (GB Konya/Türkiye) CBS tabanlı çizgisellik analizi. Geomatik, 10(1), 76-91. https://doi.org/10.29128/geomatik.1533893
• Patil, R., & Datta , M. . (2022). Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Climate Change in India: a Theoretical Perspective. Advanced Geomatics, 2(1), 07–13. Retrieved from https://publish.mersin.edu.tr/index.php/geomatics/article/view/168
• Tabakoğlu, C. (2024). A Review: Detection types and systems in remote sensing. Advanced GIS, 4(2), 100–105. Retrieved from https://publish.mersin.edu.tr/index.php/agis/article/view/1560.
• Zeynalov, I., Akhmedova , R. ., Akhmedova , A. ., & Rustamova , A. . (2024). Analysis of the sea surface temperature (SST) of the Caspian Sea from NOAA satellites. Advanced Remote Sensing, 4(1), 1–10. Retrieved from https://publish.mersin.edu.tr/index.php/arsej/article/view/1164
• Tahsin, A. ., Abdullahi, J. ., Karabulut, A. İzzeddin, & Yesilnacar, M. I. . (2023). Spatiotemporal prediction of reference evapotranspiration in Araban Region, Türkiye: A machine learning based approach. Advanced Remote Sensing, 3(1), 27–37. Retrieved from https://publish.mersin.edu.tr/index.php/arsej/article/view/833
• Boutallaka, M., Miloud, T., El Mazi, M., Hmamouchi, M., et al. (2025). Assessment of current and future land sensitivity to degradation under climate change in the upstream Ouergha watershed (Morocco) using GIS and AHP method. International Journal of Engineering and Geosciences, 10(1), 46-58. https://doi.org/10.26833/ijeg.1521350
• Yılmaz, V. (2025). Climate patterns in Europe: A focus on ten countries through remote sensing. International Journal of Engineering and Geosciences, 10(3), 398-418. https://doi.org/10.26833/ijeg.1583206
• Yaman, Ş., & Yaman, M. (2024). Creation of Turkiye risk map for Cydalima perspectalis (box tree moth) by weighted overlay analysis. International Journal of Engineering and Geosciences, 9(3), 345-355. https://doi.org/10.26833/ijeg.1434437
• Ünel, F. B., Kuşak, L., Yakar, M., & Doğan, H. (2023). Coğrafi bilgi sistemleri ve analitik hiyerarşi prosesi kullanarak Mersin ilinde otomatik meteoroloji gözlem istasyonu yer seçimi. Geomatik, 8(2), 107-123.
• Yilmaz, H. M., Yakar, M., Mutluoglu, O., Kavurmaci, M. M., & Yurt, K. (2012). Monitoring of soil erosion in Cappadocia region (Selime-Aksaray-Turkey). Environmental Earth Sciences, 66, 75-81.