Investigation of Severe Dust Storms over Baghdad City by Using Remote Sensing Measurements and Ground Data
Publication Name
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
Abstract
Dust aerosols have serious influences on different sectors such as the economy, climate change, pollution, transportation and public health. Dust storms have increased over the Middle East especially impacting central Iraq lately. The goal of the work is to identify possible dust sources and pathways influencing the study area. Using remote sensing data by employing the monthly average of Aerosol Index (AI-OMI), HYSPLIT model and MODIS satellite to examine potential dust storms sources and their transport pathways through spring season in 2012. The results of aerosol index (AI) values by OMI satellite were high during spring and summer but were low during autumn and winter. AI values are increased in the likely major dust sources including eastern parts of Syria, Kuwait, north Saudi Arabia, southwestern parts of Iran, as well as south and central parts of Iraq. Also, analyses of the HYSPLIT model show possible dust storms sources and predominate directions of dust which can reach Baghdad city including transported dust aerosols from the eastern region of Syria, north-western, western Iraq. The findings of pathways by the HYSPLIT model for possible dust sources are agreement with satellite images from MODIS - OMI satellites (dust storms are revealed by the MODIS - OMI satellites). The information of CALIPSO satellite revealed that the dust activity had reached 18 kilometres to the stratosphere layer. The HYSPLIT trajectories findings for dust storms travel are like to the image of the MODIS satellite.
Open Access Status
This publication may be available as open access
Volume
1215
Issue
1
Article Number
012004