Identification of Snowfall Areas in Iran using Cluster Analysis

Montazeri, Majid; Fanei, Razeih

doi:10.22111/jneh.2017.21590.1302

Identification of Snowfall Areas in Iran using Cluster Analysis

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Majid Montazeri ¹
Razeih Fanei ²

¹ Assistant Professor of Climatology, University of Isfahan, Iran

² M.A Graduate of Climatology

10.22111/jneh.2017.21590.1302

Abstract

Snow is one of the main sources of water budget, spring currents, groundwater aquifers, rivers, springs and it's important in mountainous areas and high latitudes. Due to the importance of this topic, the present study was conducted with the aim of identifying and clustering of snow in Iran. In this regard, present weather codes of 304 synoptic stations were surveyed during the period of 1951-2010. Initially, 16 codes that belonged solely to the snow were separated and then spatial distribution maps of each code were mapped and spatially surveyed. The results indicate that snowfall occurs only in 251 stations and their density is mainly in the north-west and south-east axis and the mountain axis of Alborz and Zagros chain. The codes 70, 71, 73, 22 and 72 respectively have the highest frequency of recording at the stations studied. Finally, by applying a hierarchical cluster analysis on the percentage of snow frequency, the stations were divided into three main clusters. This analysis showed that synoptic stations in Iran are mainly classified into three main clusters, High Mountain, low mountains and foot of the mountain clusters. It should be noted that the third cluster is distinguishable due to its large dispersion to two submerged subsurface and low-altitude mountain and coastal areas. Studies have shown that snowfall in Iran is strongly dependent on elevation and latitude. There is a significant inverse relationship between the elevation and latitude of the stations. On the other hand, there is a significant direct relationship between height and percentage frequency of snow. However, the percentage frequency of snowfall with latitude is not significant. This indicates that elevation in snowfall is more important than latitude.

Keywords

References

پدرام؛ مژده، قائمی، هوشنگ، هدایتی درفولی، اکرم، مرتضوی، افسانه (1390). ریزش برف و ارتباط آن با دما در استان کردستان، فصلنامه تحقیقات جغرافیایی، سال 25، شماره 100، صص 70-56.

درگاهیان؛ فاطمه، علیجانی، بهلول (1392). بررسی اثر بلاکینگ بر رخداد برف های سنگین و مداوم ایران، فصلنامه جغرافیایی سرزمین، سال دهم، شماره 38، صص 15-1.

شریفی؛ محمدرضا، آخوندعلی، علی محمد، پرهمت، جهانگیر، محمدی، جهانگرد (1386). بررسی تأثیر ارتفاع، جهت و تندی شیب بر عمق برف در حوضه صمصامی، تحقیقات منابع آب ایران، سال سوم شماره 3، صص ۶۹-۷۲.

فتاحی؛ ابراهیم، شیراوند، هنگامه (1393). بررسی الگوهای گردش جوی روزهای همراه با بارش برف سنگین در غرب ایران، نشریه تحلیل فضایی مخاطرات محیطی، سال اول، شماره پیاپی 1، صص 107-97.

کیخسروی کیانی؛ محمدصادق، مسعودیان، سیدابوالفضل(۱۳۹۵). واکاوی پیوند روزهای برفپوشان با ارتفاع، شیب و وجه شیب در ایران زمین، پژوهش های جغرافیای طبیعی، دوره ۴۸ شماره ۱، صص ۱۴-۱.

مسعودیان؛ سیدابوالفضل، کیخسروی کیانی، محمدصادق (1396). ارزیابی تغییرات همراه با پوشش برف در گروه های ارتفاعی حوضه زاینده رود، مجله مخاطرات محیط طبیعی، سال ششم، شماره 11، صص 46-33.

مسعودیان؛ سیدابوالفضل، (1386). شناسایی تیپهای همدید اصفهان، گزارش نهایی طرح پژوهشی، معاونت تحقیقات و فناوری دانشگاه اصفهان.

Denis, A, 2002, GDye variability and Trend in the Annual snow cover cycle in Northern Hemisphere land Areas. Report no: 6, pp 1-13.

Esteban, P Jones.PD, Martin.J, and Masem.M,2005, Atmosphere circulation patterns related to heavy snowfall days in Andorra, Pyrenees, International Journal of Climatology, No 25, pp 319-329.

Huang, Xiaodong, Deng, Jie, Wang, Wei, Feng, Qisheng, Liang, Tiangang, 2017, Impact of climate and elevation on snow cover using integrated remote sensing snow products in Tibetan Plateau, Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume 190, PP 274–288.

Klein, Geoffrey, Vitesse, Yann, Rixen, Christian, Marty, Christoph, Rebetez, Martine, 2016, Shorter snow cover duration since 1970 in the Swiss Alps due to earlier snowmelt more than to later snow onset, Climatic Change, Volume 139, pp 637–649,

Jain, S.K., Goswami, A., and Saraf, A.K. 2009. Role of elevation and aspect in snow

distribution in western Himalaya. Water Resour Management. 23, pp 71-83.

Mote, PW. Hamlet, AF. Clark, MP. and Lettenmaier, DP., 2005. Declining Mountain Snowpack in Western North America. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 86, pp 39-49.

Mickiewicz, Adam, 2004, University of Pozna institute of Physical Geography and Environment. 11p

Qing Ke, C., Yu, T., Yu, K., Dong Tang, G., King, L., 2009. Snowfall trends and variability in Qinghai, China. Theor Appl Climatol. 98, pp 251-258.

Tabari, H., Marofi, S., Zare Abyane, H., and Sharifi, M.R. 2010. Comparison of artificial neural network and combined models in estimating the spatial distribution of snow depth and snow water equivalent in Samsami basin of Iran. Neural Computing and Applications. 19, pp 625-635.

Wang, Zhuosen, Schaaf, Crystal B., Chopping, Mark J. Strahler, Alan H., Wang, Jindi, Román, Miguel O., Rocha, Adrian V., Woodcock, Curtis E., Shuai, Yanmin, 2012, Evaluation of Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow albedo product (MCD43A) over tundra, Remote Sensing of Environment, 117, pp 264–280.