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Anomalies and cycles of precipitable water over Iran in recent decades

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Abstract

Water vapor transported by atmospheric circulation is an important aspect of the hydrologic cycle and plays a vital role in determining rainfall distribution. Much effort has been devoted to investigation of anomalies and cycles of precipitable water over Iran using air pressure and specific humidity data (1981–2010) from the National Center for Environmental Prediction and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The results of the present study indicate that the coastal areas experienced positive anomalies owing to their proximity to large bodies of water, while upland areas and the northwest and northeast of the country experienced negative anomalies because of their distance from water resources and altitude. The results of cycle analysis revealed that short cycles (i.e., 2- to 5-year cycles) occurred in most of the country. The shortest cycles occurred in the southeast region. Scientists are in agreement that the 2- and 5-year cycles are related to the El Niño southern oscillation and quasi-biennial oscillation in the general circulation of the atmosphere.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

    Hossein Asakereh, Mehdi Doostkamian & Sahar Sadrafshary

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  1. Hossein Asakereh
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  2. Mehdi Doostkamian
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  3. Sahar Sadrafshary
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Correspondence to Hossein Asakereh.

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Asakereh, H., Doostkamian, M. & Sadrafshary, S. Anomalies and cycles of precipitable water over Iran in recent decades. Arab J Geosci 8, 9569–9576 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-015-1888-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-015-1888-2

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