Dust storms are among the most important weather phenomena in Middle East. The Shamal dust storms are dominated across Iraq and the whole Middle East, especially in summer. However, frontal type of dust storms is possible in winter and spring. In this research, a comprehensive case study was conducted to a dust storm that occurred on 20 March 2016 from many perspectives: synoptic, satellite imagery, dust concentration analysis, visibility reduction, and aerosol optical depth. The study shows that the dust storm initiated inside Syria and moved eastward with the movement of the front. Dust concentrations and aerosol optical depth were also discussed that simulate the dust storm over Iraq in a reasonable way with some differences. The dust concentrations values increase gradually during the early hours of 20 March at 1200 UTC to become within (200-5000) . The dust concentrations comparison with some surrounding countries shows that Iraq had the maximum value at the dust storm time. An experimental relationship to calculate the dust concentration from visibility was tested according to the multi-model products and revealed acceptable estimates. Dust aerosol optical depth offers good means to quantify the dust amount in the Middle East where the dust is the determining factor. Additional investigation was done by using the relative vorticity and the potential vorticity. The results of this investigation show that there are upper shortwaves that are responsible of strengthening of the low pressure system at the surface. The computed value of potential vorticity advection was estimated to be about (2.7×10-4 K m2/kg s) along a distance of about 500 km which suggested a high value of divergence east of the system which lead to a significant updraft.
In this study, the synoptic analysis of dust storm for spring and summertime in Iraq were investigated. The images for dust provided by NASA are used to emphasize the dust storm days, while the composite maps of wind vector and geopotential 850hPa are mapped to investigate the pressure and wind direction patterns appearing with the dust condition in the same days. Spring has more dust frequency than summertime, especially in May. The frontal type of dust storm is dominant on spring, the cold air pushes the warm air that picking up the sand to the air through the vertical wind, but the southwestern high-speed wind and drought condition were controlled on the dust in summer. The northwestern wind is the main factor that carries the dust for l
... Show MoreDust storms are a natural phenomenon occurring in most areas of Iraq. In recent years, the study of this phenomenon has become important because of the danger caused by increasing desertification at the expense of the green cover as well as its impact on human health. In this study is important to devote the remote sensing of dust storms and its detection.Through this research, the dust storms can be detected in semi-arid areas, which are difficult to distinguish between these storms and desert areas. For the distinction between the dust storm pixels in the image with those that do not contain dust storm can be applied the Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI) and Brightness Temperature variation (BTV). MODIS sensors that carried
... Show MoreThe phenomena of Dust storm take place in barren and dry regions all over the world. It may cause by intense ground winds which excite the dust and sand from soft, arid land surfaces resulting it to rise up in the air. These phenomena may cause harmful influences upon health, climate, infrastructure, and transportation. GIS and remote sensing have played a key role in studying dust detection. This study was conducted in Iraq with the objective of validating dust detection. These techniques have been used to derive dust indices using Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI) and Middle East Dust Index (MEDI), which are based on images from MODIS and in-situ observation based on hourly wi
The current study was applied in Al-Zafaraniya area southeast of the capital Baghdad from October 2021 to April 2022. This is to evaluate some heavy elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Mn) in the street, storm, and suspended dust. Four sampling sites were selected, and codes A, B, C, and D were given to represent the industrial activity sites, service workshops, business activity, and residential areas.
The results showed that the concentration rates of elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn) in street dust samples were (1.15, 6.6, 60.15, 26770, 44.4, 6, 489.8). In storm dust (2, 10, 49.3, 54760, 24.3, 827.2) ppm, respectively, the results of suspended dust revealed that the general rates of element concentrations were (0.7
... Show MoreA dust storm in Iraq is a climatic phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions . The frequency of the occurrence has increased drastically in the last decade and it is increasing continuously .Baghdad city like the rest of Iraq is suffering from the significant increase in dust storms . In this research , the study of the phenomenon of dust storms for all types (Suspended dust , rising dust , dust storm) , and its relationship with some climate variables (Temperature , rainfall ,wind speed) .The statement of the impact of climate change on this phenomenon to Baghdad station for the period (1981 – 2012) . Time series has been addressing the phenomenon of storms and cli
... Show MoreIraq suffers from serious pollution with harmful particles that have important direct and indirect effects on human activities and human health. In this research, a system for detecting pollutants in the air was designed and manufactured using infrared laser technology. This system was used to detect the presence of pollutants in the dust storms that swept the city of Baghdad which could have a negative impact on human health and living organisms.
The designed detection system based on the use of infrared laser (IR) with a wavelength of 1064 nm was used for the purposes of detecting pollutants based on the scattering of the laser beam from these pollutants. The system was aligned to obtain the best signal for the scattered rays, w
... Show MoreIn this paper, various aspects of smart grids are described. These aspects include the components of smart grids, the detailed functions of the smart energy meters within the smart grids and their effects on increasing the awareness, the advantages and disadvantages of smart grids, and the requirements of utilizing smart grids. To put some light on the difference between smart grids and traditional utility grids, some aspects of the traditional utility grids are covered in this paper as well.
This work presents a computer studying to simulate the charging process of a dust grain immersed in plasma with negative ions. The study based on the discrete charging model. The model was developed to take into account the effect of negative ions on charging process of dust grain.
The model was translated to a numerical calculation by using computer programs. The program of model has been written with FORTRAN programming language to calculate the charging process for a dust particle in plasma with negative ion, the time distribution of a dust charge, number charge equilibrium and charging time for different value of ηe (ratio of number density of electron to number density of positive ion).
A cut-off low is a closed low with a low value of geopotential height at the upper atmospheric levels that has been fully detached (cut-off) from the westerly flow and move independently. A cut-off low causes extreme rainfall events in the mid-latitudes regions. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the cut-off low at 500 hPa over Iraq from a synoptic point of view and the behavior of geopotential height at 500 hPa. To examine the association of the cut-off low at 500 hPa with rainfall events across Iraq, two case studies of heavy rainfall events from different times were conducted. The results showed that the cut-off low at 500 hPa with a low value of geopotential height will strengthen the low-pressure system at the surface, lea
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