Identification of threshold values for the characterization of sandstorm events Over Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Sandstorm events are one of the major environmental hazards in the Arabian Peninsula. This study aims to investigate sandstorm events by applying MEDI (Middle East Dust Index) on MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. For this, twenty sandstorm events over Saudi Arabia are selected. The outcomes of the research indicate that MEDI can effectively detect sandstorm events both over the surface and ocean. The resultant MEDI sandstorm events are verified by the data from ground based meteorological stations in the study area. In addition, the MEDI resultant sandstorm events are also validated by using MSG (Meteosat Second Generation) satellite data and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) based on dark target-deep blue MODIS Terra product. The results of the study indicate that MEDI accuracy for detecting sandstorm event over study area is 92%. The results of the study also indicate that MEDI can be applied for sandstorm monitoring in the study region both over the surface area and water bodies.