Assessment of mesoscale convective systems using IR brightness temperature in the southwest of Iran

In this research, the spatial and temporal distribution of Mesoscale Convective Systems was assessed in the southwest of Iran using Global merged satellite IR brightness temperature (acquired from Meteosat, GOES, and GMS geostationary satellites) and synoptic station data. Event days were selected using a set of storm reports and precipitation criteria. The following criteria are used to determine the days with occurrence of convective systems: (1) at least one station reported 6-h precipitation exceeding 10 mm and (2) at least three stations reported phenomena related to convection (thunderstorm, lightning, and shower). MCSs were detected based on brightness temperature, maximum areal extent, and duration thresholds (228 K, 10,000 km(2), and 3 h, respectively). An MCS occurrence classification system is developed based on mean sea level, 850 and 500 hPa pressure patterns. The results indicated that the highest frequency of MCSs occurred in December and April. Assessment of MCSs spatial frequency showed that MCS occurrence is strongly correlated with topography in April and May unlike the cold months. In other words, the role of Zagros Mountains in developing MCSs varies based on the season so that its impact increases with enhancement of mean monthly temperature. In addition, the occurrence of MCSs depends closely on the configuration of the Sudan Low in the southwest of Iran.