The dust storms with local and non-local dust sources mostly affect Khuzestan province in southwest (SW) Iran. In this study, the role of the low-level jet in the activation of the internal dust events in SW Iran during two severe dust cases was investigated. For this purpose, the fifth-generation ECMWF reanalysis for the global climate and weather (ERA5) data was used to identify the synoptic patterns and the low-level jet (LLJ) characteristics in the study area. Furthermore, the images of the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor, the outputs of the hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model, and a weather research and forecasting model coupled with chemistry (WRF-Chem) were used to investigate the propagation and transport of the dust particles. The results of the synoptic analysis in both dust cases show the simultaneous occurrence of the divergence zone associated with cyclonic curvature in the subtropical jet stream (STJ) at 300 hPa, causing convergence at 925 hPa, upward motion, and the development of low surface pressure in SW Iran. Examining the vertical wind profile shows the existence of the maximum horizontal wind speeds of 975 to 875 hPa, along with the positive and negative shear below and above it, respectively, which emphasizes the existence of the LLJ and its role in local dust emission. The results of the comparison between the satellite images, WRF-Chem, and HYSPLIT model outputs show the formation and transportation of dust particles from the inner regions of Khuzestan in SW Iran. The horizontal dust surface distribution, vertical raised dust mass, and kinetic energy transfers are well simulated by the WRF-Chem model when LLJ broke at 09:00 to 12:00 UTC. The most important finding of this research is that, for the first time, the role of low-level jet is investigated in the activation of internal dust events in SW Iran.

The living conditions in the Urmia Basin (northwestern Iran) face significant challenges due to dust events. This study investigates the spatial and temporal characteristics of dust phenomena in the Urmia Basin using MERRA-2 data and observational data from Tabriz, Urmia, Sarab, and Mahabad over a 30-year period (1990–2019). The findings reveal that despite several fluctuations, the annual number of dusty days increased from the 1990s to the 2010s in the Urmia Basin. The maximum number of dusty days was found to predominantly occur in May (spring) and October (autumn), driven by two distinct mechanisms. In early autumn, developing synoptic systems associated with increased wind speeds can cause dust emission from dry land sources. Consequently, an increase in dust wet deposition, precipitation, dust surface concentration, and the number of dusty days occurs in October. In contrast, a sharp decrease in precipitation from April to May leads to drying soil and dust emission in May. Among the studied cities, Tabriz experienced the highest number of dusty days (728) due to the combined effects of cross-border and local dust sources. The highest dust column density and dust dry deposition in the south and east of Urmia Lake indicate the impact of declining water levels, which resulted in a dry lakebed as the primary local dust source. The MERRA-2 spatial distribution reveals that dust surface concentration, and the number of dusty days decrease similarly from the southwest to the northeast of the Urmia Basin as the distance from cross-border dust sources increases. A positive correlation is observed between the number of dusty days and MEERA-2 data, including dust surface concentration, dust dry deposition, column mass dust, and total aerosol extinction, with coefficients of 0.74, 0.71, 0.69, and 0.68, respectively.

The Great Khorasan in northeast Iran has a variety of surface structures and plains and high peaks, but due to its vicinity to the deserts of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, it is affected by dust all the time, especially in summer. The purpose of this study was to simulate summer dust in ...

Introduction: Dust is a natural process in desert areas, which is caused by the effect of strong winds on the surface of the soil. The aim of this study is to investigate the conditions of the formation and expanding the dust storm formed in Iraq to the Khuzestan province in February, 2017. Materials and methods: The synoptic analysis was conducted using meteo-rological parameters from ERA-interim and observation data from the Ahwaz station. In addition, the EUMETSAT image, the DREAM and the HYSPLIT model output were used. Results: As the results show, regarding to the storm, dust in low- pressure area located over Iran is expanded toward the west associated with the tough 500 hPa . With the formation of the high-pressure area in Syria, a pressure gradient is formed in Iraq resulting the northwest wind with the wind speed of 28 knots s (14 m/s) in 925 hPa. These conditions have led to transport the dust from Iraq toward southwest of Iran. A jet stream is formed 12 h before entering the dust from Iraq to Iran, at 900 hPa. The HYSPLIT model predicts the particle’s motion along the northwest winds, and is matched with the wind field in synoptic structure. Conclusion: According to this study, the most important factors in dust trans-port to the Persian Gulf are geographic location of the low- and high-pressure area and the formed northwest winds in Iraq.