Climate Significance of Land Cover Change in Iraq

Abstract

This study deals with the magnitude of influence of various geographical

factors and meteorological variables on land cover among six meteorological

stations Rabiah, Anna, Kirkuk, Mosul, Baghdad and Najaf.

The statistical analysis focuses on the means of annuals during 1961-1995

The geographical factors include distance from the Najaf station and the effect

towards studied stations. The meteorological variables considered include wind

speed, mean temperature and relative humidity. Regression analyses were

performed with distance and surface temperatures. Results revealed that surface

temperature affected land cover across all study. Temperatures in land cover

(vegetated areas) were lower than those in other area in seasons. Relative

humidity has significant on all the stations has been studied with land cover as

getting increase as close to be near land cover, the relation stronger in the north

and in winter season. Wind speed has no significant only minor influence in

summer on the north stations,Rabiah,Anaa, Kirkuk and Mosul because the

extension of the mountains from the northwest to the southeast is a responsible

factor affecting the wind speed since, topographically ,lands are high in the west

and east ,and depressed in middle and south. By calculating, adjusting and

unified the studied station with same period for one high on sea level for mean

temperature, it was found same result of effective of land cover.

Introduction