Iran's Extreme Weather

Heat waves are one of the most extreme weather conditions Iran faces. Last year, Iran's heat index was off the charts. The city of Bandar Mahshahr had a  heat index level of 165 and the actual air temperature was 115 degrees with a dew point temperature of 90. Bandar Mahshahr lies adjacent to the Persian Gulf in southwest Iran where water temperatures are in the 90s. Such high temperatures lead to some of the most oppressive humidity levels in the world when wind blows off the sweltry water. It's extreme heat values occurred as a punishing heat wave engulfed the Middle East. Acuu Weather meteorologist Anthony Salgiani said in a statement,"That was one of the most incredible temperature observations I have ever seen, and it is one of the most extreme readings in the world." He also said a strong ridge of high pressure had persisted over the Middle East through much of July, resulting in the extreme heat wave in what many would consider the hottest places in the world. That same week, Baghdad sweltered an all time high record with temperatures reaching 124 degrees. The heat was so bad that Iraq's Council of Ministers declared a four-day mandatory holiday through out the country.

 

Iran also consists of extreme dust/ sand storms. On June 2, 2014, a massive dust storm took place in Tehran. Five men were killed and at least 30 people injured. It also damaged several automobiles and electric lines. It's winds reached up to 110km/h, knocking over trees and breaking windows as well. A shopkeeper from Iran told news agency, "It was a horrible storm and everywhere went dark." Dust storms also impose serious public health risks. If fine dust particles are inhaled and penetrated into the lungs, it can result in infections, respiratory difficulties, and cardiovascular problems. Protesters are coming about due to the way their government is handling such issues. A large group of people in the city of Ahwaz, the capital of Iran's oil rich Khuzestan province, gathered in protest at the government's handling of the environmental crisis. Protesters demanded the administration of President Hassan Rouhani to act, holding up cards saying that "healthy air is our right".

Sources:
Dehghan, Saeed Kamali. "Unprecedented Dust Storm Sparks Protests in Western Iran." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

"Iran Sandstorm Kills at Least Four in Tehran - BBC News." BBC News. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

"Feels-Like Temp Reaches 164 Degrees in Iran, 159 in Iraq; Days Off Ordered as Mideast Broils in Extreme Heat Wave." The Weather Channel. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Service , Forecast National Weather. "Iran City Hits Suffocating Heat Index of 165 Degrees, near World Record." Washington Post. The Washington Post. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.

Iran's Subsidence and Sinkholes

Subsidence is defined as a type of ground failure characterized by nearly vertical deformation, or the downward sinking of earth materials. It often produces circular surface pits, but it is possible to produce linear or irregular patterns of failure. Iran faces a great amount of subsidence. Tehran, Iran's capital which contains about 14 million people, is subject to ground water deformation. Tehran's ground water supply has been minimized over the past decades, partly due to immigration and rapid population growth, and partly due to increased extraction. The increasing demands upon ground water resources due to expanding metropolitan and agricultural areas are a serious challenge, especially in semiarid and arid regions. Decades of unrestrained groundwater extraction for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use have resulted in a dangerous decrease of this valuable resource. Ground water basins in central and northeast Iran often face the problem of declining groundwater levels, often due to the destruction of aquifers. There are many other locations in Iran that face subsidence, such as Rafsanjan, Mashad, Kashmar, and more. The technique of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is suited to monitor elastic and inelastic response of aquifer systems to changes in ground water levels, providing geological insight into the roles of geological structures and lithological parameters in plain aquifers. The InSAR's satellite is most sensitive to vertical motions, which is appropriate for measuring land subsidence. The InSAR- derived subsidence map show important information for the mitigation and land subsidence hazards in Iran and can possibly help improve the management of groundwater resources.

In the period of 1989 through 2004, there has been a large number of collapsed sinkholes in the Famenin and Kabudar plains, Hamdan province, west of Iran. Collapsed sinkholes develop when surface or near surface material collapses into an underground cavern. As subsidence features, these sink holes can develop into spectacular collapse structures. The Famenin and Kabudar plains are facing a serious deficiency in ground water resources. This is due to the increasing demand for drinking and agricultural products with rapid population growth and agricultural development. Because these sinkholes bring many risks such as the Hamdan electrical power plant, threatening human lives due to catastrophic subsidence, and destroying farm lands, Iran has assigned researchers to assist the hazard. In December of 2005, The West Regional Water Authority of Iran organized a conference on the sinkhole hazards. Database of sinkholes and knowledge of the mechanism has been made in order to manage the hazard.

Sources:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2008GL033814/pdf

http://conference.khuisf.ac.ir/DorsaPax/userfiles/file/pazhohesh/zamin%20mashad/91.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226306815_Hazards_and_mechanism_of_sinkholes_on_Kabudar_Ahang_and_Famenin_plains_of_Hamadan_Iran