Drought investigation using SPEI Index and its relationship with dust(Case Study of Khuzestan Province)

Drought and dust are some of the atmospheric hazards that have affected the western and southwestern regions of the country for many years due to various factors. The recent droughts have had a significant impact on the emergence and intensification of dust. Therefore, studies related to it are considered important. In the current study, temporal and spatial fluctuations of meteorological drought and dust in Khuzestan province were examined on a monthly, seasonal and annual time scale. Drought estimation was possible using standard precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and estimation of dust occurrence based on phenomenon codes 07 and 09 with a field of view of less than one kilometer. To ensure the adaptation of drought to the abundance of dust, a Pearson correlation was established between the two phenomena. The results of correlation showed a direct and significant relationship between meteorological drought and the number of dusty days in the province. The most correlation is in February, July, June, August, and May. The highest level of significance is attributed to the winter and summer and then spring. Cross-correlation also showed that the events of the dust simultaneously and one month later are more affected by the drought.