Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards

Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards

Analysis and Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Iran

Author
Vahid Safarian
University of Kurdistan
10.66224/jsaeh.12.3.7
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to analyze greenhouse gas variations across Iran and to identify the gases that exert the greatest influence on their overall dynamics. The findings enhance understanding of atmospheric pollution patterns and support the development of effective mitigation strategies. These results provide a scientific basis for climate-change mitigation planning in Iran. The study relies on satellite-based remote sensing datasets.

Methods: This study analyzes the temporal and spatial variations of major greenhouse gases including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, water vapor, and methane across Iran from 2019 to 2024. Sentinel-5P satellite data were extracted via the Google Earth Engine platform, and after filtering and removing low-quality observations, the data were standardized using the Z-Score method to enhance comparability and correlation analysis. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce data dimensionality and identify dominant variation patterns. Temporal and spatial trends were then quantified using complementary statistical techniques.

Results:

Methane exhibited a consistent increasing trend from late 2021 through 2024 and accounted for the largest share of total variance (R² = 0.87), likely reflecting intensified anthropogenic activities and regional climatic shifts. CO, NO₂, and O₃ were mainly affected by seasonal fluctuations and nonlinear factors, and no clear long-term increasing or decreasing trends were observed. Water vapor showed a direct relationship with temperature variations, water sources, and atmospheric patterns, with its lowest concentrations recorded during the cold months and increases observed in the warm months. PCA analysis indicated that the first two principal components explained more than 70% of the total data variance, with CH₄, O₃, and NO₂ contributing the most to the overall variations.

Conclusions: The study results indicated that greenhouse gas variations in Iran are simultaneously influenced by natural factors and human activities. The combination of satellite data, statistical analysis, and PCA enabled a precise assessment of the temporal and spatial trends of greenhouse gases, providing valuable information for planning pollutant reduction and developing strategies to combat climate change.






Keywords
greenhouse gases
PCA
Remote Sensing
Sentinel-5P Iran
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