Analysis and Comparison of the Physical and Microphysical Cloud Parameters in Northern and Central Iraq under the Influence of Mediterranean and Sudanese Depressions Using Remote Sensing

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and compare the physical and microphysical cloud properties over northern and central Iraq under the influence of two major atmospheric systems: the Mediterranean low and the Sudanese low. The analysis is based on remote sensing techniques and satellite data from Terra and Aqua equipped with the MODIS sensor, focusing on clouds associated with the Mediterranean low on 18 March 2024 and the Sudanese low on 11 January 2025. Examined cloud parameters include Cloud Top Temperature (CTT), Cloud Top Height (CTH), Cloud Optical Thickness (COT), Effective Radius (Re), Cloud Phase Optical Properties (CPOP), and Cloud Water Path (CWP), which were integrated within a GIS framework for detailed spatial and temporal analysis.

The results indicate that the Mediterranean low is dominated by ice-phase clouds over northern Iraq, characterized by high optical thickness, cloud tops exceeding 10,000 m, and medium-to-large ice particles, driven by low temperatures and strong dynamic uplift, with cold cumulonimbus clouds prevailing. In contrast, the Sudanese low promotes the spread of liquid-phase clouds across central and southern Iraq, with greater thermal variability, moderate cloud top heights (2,750–10,080 m), larger droplet sizes, and a range of optical thickness from dense to thin. These differences reflect variations in cloud vertical structure and dynamics between the two systems, affecting precipitation distribution and the microphysical properties of clouds in the region.