Publications

Masoodian, SA; Montazeri, M (2020). Spatial distribution of precipitable water in Iran using MODIS aqua data. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

Abstract
Despite its adjacency to seas in the north and the south, Iran suffers from relatively low humidity. Spatial distribution of the atmospheric humidity across Iran is a function of altitude, distance to water bodies, and moisture advection. The analysis of the daily data on precipitable water from the MODIS Aqua sensor for a period of 15 years shows that average precipitable water across Iran is 12 mm. This quantity is maximal near the coasts, with the coasts of the Oman Sea exhibiting the highest values of precipitable water. In the vicinity of the Caspian Sea, the maximum precipitable water is observed at about 4 km to the shoreline, while it is 11 km away from the shoreline when it comes to southern coasts of Iran. In the areas far from the sea where the altitude exceeds 366 m, the precipitable water is mainly affected by the altitude and decreases logarithmically with the altitude.

DOI:
10.1080/02723646.2020.1800894

ISSN:
0272-3646