Investigating the relationship between dust event and climate and surface factors in Khuzestan province (2011-2019)

Khuzestan province is affected by dust storms. The purpose of this study is to identify ‎the most significant climate and surface factors in the emission and transfer of dust in this province. By means ‎of remote sensing data including MERRA-2, GLDAS as well as Aqua, the ‎monthly average mass concentration of surface dust, air column dust and climate and surface ‎variables from 2011 to 2019 have been prepared and analyzed. The result revealed that the ‎region with an average vegetation cover index of 0.15 is susceptible to wind erosion and local dust. Also the ‎result demonstrated that the dust surface concentration and the dust column density declines from the ‎southwest to the northeast of the region due to the increased distance from the cross-border dust sources and ‎also the mountainous structure of the northeast. Analyzing of the annual distribution, showed a negative ‎relationship between the dust surface mass concentration and vegetation, and also positive/negative relationship ‎between dust column density and vegetation/ precipitation. In the monthly distribution of dust ‎ surface concentration and wind speed a positive correlation of 0.84 and 0.96 obtained, respectively. while ‎negative correlation values of -0.84, -0.81, and -0.54 were found Respectively. Therefore, dust surface concentration has the highest correlation with climate factors, which indicate the impact of cross-border ‎dust. Based on the results obtained, the annual distribution, showed a negative relationship with the dust surface concentration and vegetation. In addition, the relationship between dust column density and ‎vegetation and precipitation showed negative and positive values, respectively.‎