Evaluating the effect of heat waves on early melting of snow covers of Karkheh catchment in Iran

Ghasem Keikhosravi ()
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Ghasem Keikhosravi: Shahid Beheshti University

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2021, vol. 108, issue 2, No 34, 2167-2186

Abstract: Abstract The present study aims to evaluate the effect of heat waves on the early melting of snow cover in the Karkheh catchment of Iran. After collecting daily data on the maximum temperature of meteorological stations in the catchment during the statistical period (2000–2019), three indices of WSDI, Baldi, and ocular method were used to determine the threshold of days with heat wave. By extracting the hot waves and applying programming, the snow cover maps were drawn in the Google Earth Engine system and the area of ​​snow cover zones was calculated in the Model Builder. Finally, the atmospheric data were received from the NCEP/NCAR site and their generating patterns were examined after drawing in Grads software environment after determining the atmospheric synoptic patterns. The results indicated that the slope trend of hot waves is increasing at the catchment level. The average annual frequency of heat waves extracted for the snow cover growth period (November–May) was equal to 24 days of hot waves during the year. Regarding the ground pressure conditions and synoptic conditions of high atmospheric levels, two dominant synoptic patterns of heat waves were identified in the region as follows: (1) The Siberian high-pressure synoptic pattern at the ground level and the Saudi-African high-pressure ridge at high atmospheric levels. This synoptic pattern reduces snow cover area by an average of 40% in the Karkheh catchment and the highest frequency of the occurrence of this synoptic pattern is in February and March. (2) Pakistan-Africa low-pressure synoptic pattern at ground level and Saudi-African high-pressure ridge at high atmospheric levels, the frequency of the occurrence of which is higher in April and May months and reduces the snow cover area in the Karkheh catchment by an average of more than 55%.

Keywords: Snow cover; Heat wave; NDSI index; Baldi index; WSDI index; Model Builder (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-021-04773-y

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