Analysis of the Impact of Dust Storms on Vegetation Cover in Jordan Using Remote Sensing: NDDI and NDVI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.9898Keywords:
Dust Storms, Jordan Climate, Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Arid Lands.Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to detect dust storms in Jordan using the Normalized Difference Dust Index (NDDI) and to assess the state of vegetation using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), in order to determine the impact of dust storms on vegetation before and after the storm, while ensuring that the satellite imagery was cloud-free.
Method: The study followed an analytical approach to analyze the effect of dust storms on the state of vegetation in the study area. This was done using MODIS Terra/Aqua satellite imagery to monitor dust storms and process them digitally. Ten daily MODIS satellite images with a spatial resolution of 500 meters were analyzed. The study examined severe dust storms that affected Jordan during the period 2004–2018, using the NDDI and NDVI indices before and after each dust storm to analyze the impact of the storm on vegetation. Additionally, daily visibility data recorded at meteorological stations (Irbid, Amman Airport, Ma’an, Mafraq, Safawi, and Aqaba Airport) from the Jordan Meteorological Department were used to obtain data on dust storms.
Results: The study showed a decline in NDVI values in the study area after the occurrence of dust storms in the ten case studies analyzed. NDVI values before the storms ranged from 0.17 to 0.56, while after the storms they ranged from 0.17 to 0.45, indicating a decrease in NDVI due to the intensity of the dust storms.
Conclusion: A moderate positive correlation was found between the peak values of NDDI and NDVI, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.524.
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