DEVELOPING AN AUTOMATIC MONITORING METHOD USING SATELLITE IMAGERY TO DETECT DUST STORMS IN COASTAL AREAS

Every year in Iran, several natural hazards occur which cause social, economic and environmental damages. Over the past decades, Middle East dust storms have caused many problems for the residents of South and Southwest regions of Iran. During the recent years, there has been an increase in the trend of dust storm activities in this region, especially in spring and summer [1]. Now, this trend is changing into the main persistent environmental problem in Iran and the Middle East region. Detecting dust phenomena, identifying their sources and surveying about their movements and situation can help planners and decision makers in planning and controlling to reduce damages of this phenomena. Remote sensing allows for better tracking of regional and global distribution of aerosols, which are extremely dynamic in nature [2].