Analysis of the spatial and temporal changes of the dust aerosols optical depth across different regions of Kerman province in the last 23 years

Dust aerosols have adverse effects on public health, air quality, and the environment; therefore, continuous monitoring of their spatio-temporal changes in different regions, especially arid and semi-arid regions, is very important.Considering the vast spatial extent of Kerman province, the inappropriate distribution of air pollutant measurement stations, a number of synoptic stations, as well as the large area of the province and the different climatic and biological diversity; the use of remote sensing techniques and especially the use of Aerosol optical depth (AOD) index of the MODIS sensor can be one of the appropriate tools to analyze and investigate the trend of temporal changes and the pattern of spatial distribution of dust particles in different regions of this province.This study has been carried out with the main purpose of analyzing the changes in dust aerosols based on the average monthly, seasonal and annual values of aerosol optical depth in different regions of Kerman province during the period from 2000 to 2022, so that while knowing the state of these changes, the high-risk areas of dust production in recent decades should also be identified.