干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Sistan region centralized in Zabol county is a broad plain which is located in northeast of Sistan and Baloochestan Province in east of Iran. One of the main characteristics of this plain is having sand and dust storm. Although sand and dust storms have occurred in Sistan region since the past up to now, it has been intensified due to consecutive droughts and blocking water of Kajaki dam leading to dryness of plains and Hirmand river bed. This caused many farmlands and susceptible lands to be subjected to deflation and transfer of the soil surface separates or burial of these separates under sands due to movement of drifting sand. Effects of such phenomenon caused to decrease income, reduce yields, destroy farmlands, decrease capacity of pasture, increase sediment load of the rivers and increase flood, increase water salinity, decrease vegetation cover, and wildlife and immigration, air pollution and respiratory problems. In this research, wind erosion and surface of the regions subject to wind erosion has been studied in addition to study of climatic, hydrological and agricultural drought. Therefore, some images with high coverage and repeatability are needed. For this purpose, Advance Very High Resolution (AVHRR) images from NOAA satellite and MODIS sensor from TERRA satellite which have the above specifications and receive broad interval of radiation energy in visible and invisible spectral zones were used. Results show that drought and dryness of plains especial Sabori plain are regarded as the most important place of harvesting and centre of storms and Poozak and Hirmand plains are of high importance after this plain. Deserted farmlands are of other regions susceptible to wind erosion due to drought.