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The influence of the polar front jet stream on the formation of dust events in the southwest of Iran

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Abstract

Dust events are among the climatic hazards which may occur the year over in the southwest of Iran. The goal of this research was to investigate the role of the polar front jet stream (PFJ) as one of the most important synoptic patterns affecting the formation of dust events in the southwest of Iran during a statistical period (1998–2012). The research method was a combination of statistical–synoptic and remote-sensing analyses. The frequency of occurrence, duration, and intensity of dust events were studied by using hourly data of five synoptic weather stations. Also, climatic stability condition considering climatic conditions of ground level and 500-hpa level was investigated by using networked data obtained from the NCEP. Dust detection was done by using the data of Meteosat-7 satellite and MODIS sensor of Aqua satellite. In addition, weather conditions were analyzed simultaneously with dust events using dust measurement indices such as aerosol absorption index (AAI) of TOMS sensor and aerosol optical depth (AOD), and concentration rate of dust and visibility extracted from the output data of the numerical simulation model (COAMPS). Statistical results showed that the main factor of more than 20 % of total dust events in the southwest of Iran was the synoptic pattern of the PFJ, leading to the formation of dust events in the cold period of the year. Finally, synoptic analysis of weather maps and satellite images clearly indicated the effective role of PFJ in the formation of dust events of cold periods in the southwest of Iran.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the University of Sistan and Baluchestan for their generous support of the project. We also thank the anonymous reviewer for constructive suggestions on data analyses and interpretations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography and Climatology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

    Koohzad Raispour, Mahmood Khosravi & Taghi Tavousi

  2. Department of Remote Sensing, University of Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Sharifikiya

Authors
  1. Koohzad Raispour
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  2. Mahmood Khosravi
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  3. Taghi Tavousi
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  4. Mohammad Sharifikiya
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Correspondence to Mahmood Khosravi.

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Raispour, K., Khosravi, M., Tavousi, T. et al. The influence of the polar front jet stream on the formation of dust events in the southwest of Iran. Air Qual Atmos Health 9, 15–23 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-014-0270-y

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