Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi

GIS TECHNIQUES FOR MAPPING OF WIND SPEED OVER IRAQ

H. Q. Adeeb Y. K. Al-Timimi
Researcher Assist. Prof.
Dept. of Atmospheric Sci. Coll. of Sci. Mustansiriyah Univ.
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to use GIS techniques in climate studies. Analysis of monthly wind speed
data for the period 1981 to 2017, and mapping of monthly, seasonal and annual wind speed in
Iraq has been investigated in this study. The area of study was divided into three regions. the
results of Mann Kendall test of the middle and southern region reveal a significant decreasing
trend in the months of the summer season. While positive trends of mean wind speed were
found in the northern region for the whole period. Wind speed value reaches its highest value
in (Jun and July), and the lowest value of wind speed was in December. Seasonal wind speeds
show the highest values recorded in the summer and spring seasons and the lowest in the
autumn and winter seasons. Wind speed maps were obtained using IDW techniques in G I S,
the results show that the annual average of wind speed in the northern, middle and southern
regions was 2.7 m/s, 3.6 m/s and 4.1 m/s respectively. While the annual average of wind speed
in the study area "Iraq" was 3.6 m/s. The winds were low in the northern region compared to
the middle and southern regions. The wind speed maps show the appropriate sites for the
installation of wind turbines.
Keyword: climate, trend , mann–kendall test, interpolation, Iraq.

‫اديب والتميمي‬ 1629-1621:)6)50: 2019- ‫مجلة العلوم الزراعية العراقية‬

‫استخدام تقنيات نظم المعلومات الجغرافية لرسم خرائط سرعة الرياح فوق العراق‬
‫ياسين كاظم التميمي‬ ‫حنين قصي اديب‬
‫استاذ مساعد‬ ‫باحث‬
‫ الجامعة المستنصرية‬- ‫قسم علوم الجو – كلية العلوم‬
‫المستخلص‬
‫ تم دراسة تحليل بيانات سرعة‬.‫هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى استخدام تقنيات نظم المعلومات الجغرافية في الدراسات المناخية‬
‫ قسمت‬.‫ ورسم خرائط سرعة الرياح الشهرية والموسمية والسنوية في العراق‬,2017 ‫ إلى‬1981 ‫الرياح الشهرية للفترة من‬
‫ اظهرت نتائج اختبار مان كيندال في المنطقة الوسطى والجنوبية عن وجود تناقص في‬.‫منطقة الدراسة إلى ثالث مناطق‬
‫ اما في المنطقة الشمالية اظهرت النتائج وجود تزايد في االتجاه لمتوسط سرعة‬.‫االتجاه وخصوصاً خالل أشهر الصيف‬
‫ وأدنى قيمة لسرعة الرياح كانت في‬، )‫ بلغت سرعة الرياح أعلى قيمة لها في (حزيران و تموز‬.‫الرياح خالل فترة الدراسة‬
‫ تُظهر سرعات الرياح الموسمية أعلى القيم المسجلة في فصلي الصيف والربيع واألدنى في فصلي الخريف‬.‫ديسمبر‬
‫ وأظهرت النتائج أن المتوسط‬، G I S ‫ في‬IDW ‫ كذلك تم الحصول على خرائط سرعة الرياح باستخدام تقنيات‬.‫والشتاء‬
‫ ث على‬/ ‫ م‬4.1 ‫ ث و‬/ ‫ م‬3.6 ، ‫ ث‬/ ‫ م‬2.7 ‫السنوي لسرعة الرياح في المناطق الشمالية والوسطى والجنوبية كان‬
‫ كانت الرياح منخفضة في‬.‫ ث‬/ ‫ م‬3.6 "‫ بينما بلغ المعدل السنوي لسرعة الرياح في منطقة الدراسة "العراق‬.‫التوالي‬
‫افضل المواقع المناسبة لتركيب‬ ‫ تظهر خرائط سرعة الرياح‬.‫المنطقة الشمالية مقارنة بالمناطق الوسطى والجنوبية‬
. ‫توربينات الرياح‬
.‫ العراق‬،‫ االستيفاء‬،‫ كيندال‬-‫ اختبار مان‬،‫ االتجاه‬،‫ المناخ‬:‫الكلمات المفتاحية‬

*Received:23/3/2019, Accepted:10/6/2019

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi
INTRODUCTION 𝐱 𝐢 = 𝐟(𝐭 𝐢 ) + 𝛆𝐢
The wind is one of the important climatic The f(t) is continuous monotonic growing or
factors that humans have been interested in diminishing function with time. while εi
since their ancient uses. They have also been presumed to come from same division with
interested in climate studies and are more zero mean. Thus we can assume that the
important in explaining the climatic conditions difference in the division is constant with time.
of any site because they affect weather The Mann-Kendall test has many advantages
conditions. They also affect other aspects of including (6):
life. Winds are one of the factors contributing 1. Data do not need to be compatible with a
to the transfer of thermal energy from one given distribution and therefore extreme
region to another to balance the distribution of values are acceptable.
temperature and atmospheric pressure on the 2. This procedure is particularly useful since
surface of the earth, as well as the transfer of missing values are allowed.
water vapor from its sources to other areas 3. Relative magnitudes can be used instead of
lead to increased humidity and rainfall. The numerical values that allow the integration of
analysis of wind speed patterns is also trace data, as they are assigned, a value less
important in estimating the surface energy than the smallest measured value.
balance (13). Wind trend analysis is equally 4. It is not necessary to determine whether the
important for basic climatic processes such as trend is linear or not in time series analysis.
evapotranspiration and land surface- If the data is less than 9, MK test calculated as
atmosphere feedback processes, and also for (6):
diverse applications such as wind power n−1 n

generation (10). Furthermore, wind speed and S = ∑ ∑ sgn(xj − xi)

direction data are useful in air dispersion i=1 j=i+1
modeling and identifying pollutant emission Where:n: the number of the data point. Xi, Xj:
sources (7, 14) Thus, wind speed is an data values in time series i and j (j>i),
important element in the study of atmospheric respectively.
variations, hence the justification of this paper. Sgn(Xi, Xj): the sign function as:
Studies on measured wind speed variations +1. if xj − xi > 0
have been carried out (12). These studies sgn (xj − xi) = { 0. if xj − xi = 0
observed a decrease in annual wind speed in −1. ifxj − xi < 0
numerous sites around the globe during the When n is 10 or more, MK test calculated as:
past few decades. The best method of Compute the variance S by the following
interpolation for estimating the wind speed in equation:
the Iraq region is the inverse distance weighted
IDW (1). The main purpose of this study is to 1
VAR(S) = [n(n − 1)(2n + 5)
analyze the monthly wind speed for 39 stations 18
in Iraq, also using GIS for mapping wind
q
speed and chose the best site for wind.
MATERIALS AND METHODS − ∑ t p (t p − 1)(2t p + 5)]
Mann-Kendall Test (MK) p=1
The Mann-Kendall test is widely used in the Where:q: Is the number of tied groups and tp
analysis of the climatic time series such as is the number of data values on the pth group.
temperature, precipitation, aridity, VAR(S) are used to compute the test statistic Z
evaporation, and atmospheric deposition, as as follows:
well as in the environmental data series and S−1
hydrological data.Simple linear regression if S > 0
√VAR(S)
analysis could give us an essential sign of
Z= 0 if S = 0
existence of trend in times series. MK test S+1
needs the assumption of normality, yet the if S < 0
directions of significant trends will only be { √VAR(S)
indicated but not the magnitude.This test is
usable in the situations where values xi of a A positive (negative) value of (S) indicates an
time series may be subjected to (5) : upward (downward) trend [8].

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi
Study area and data acquisition Meteorological Organization and seismology
The Study area is represented via Iraq which (IMOS). The long-term data of monthly
located in Southwest of Asia, the total area average of wind speed for the time period
(437072 km2), where the land area is (432162 1980-2017 were collected from 39 stations
km2) while the area of water bodies is (4910 located at different regions of the country.
km2)(3). Iraq is located in the northern RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
hemisphere specifically in the northeastern. The mean of wind speed varies from one
Iraq have a borders with Turkey from the north station to another within the study area, so
with a length of 367 km, Iran from the east the wind speed over the study area was
with a length 1599 km, Kuwait to the divided into three regions depending on k-
southeast about 255 km, Saudi Arabia to the means methods. The northern region include
southeast about 814 km, Jordan from the west the stations (Emadiyah, Salahaddin,
with a length 179km and finally Syria Sulaymaniyah, Sinjar, Duhook, Zakho,
northwest about 599 km .Iraq consisting of the Arbil, Rabiah ,Taleafer, Kirkuk, dukcan ,
Great Mesopotamian alluvial plain of the Mosul, Khanqin , and biji), the middle
Tigris and the Euphrates rivers (Mesopotamia region include the stations (Najaf, Kerbela,
means, literally, the land between two Hella, Diwaniya, and Baghdad) and the
rivers)[4]. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers, southern region include the following
flowing northwest to southeast before merging stations (Nukheb, Rutba, Anah,Hadithah,
into the Shatt-Al-Arab and flowing into the Hai, Samawa,Amara, Nasiriya, Basra, and
Arabian Gulf. Other significant bodies of Fao).
water nearby are the Mediterranean Sea, Black
Sea, and Caspian Sea. Iraq's climate is semi-
dry. Average temperatures in Iraq range from
(50 C°) in summer, and in winter range (0 C°).
Most of the rainfall occurs between December
and April and the annual rainfall rate is "100-
180 mm", the mountainous region in northern
Iraq has a higher rainfall than the central and
southern regions. . Cyclones moving across
Iraq are coming from the west;their source is
the Atlantic Ocean. They are usually moving
east toward the Mediterranean Sea and then in
the direction of Cyprus, Lebanon and Jordan
finally toward Iraq, or the Arabian Gulf or the
Caspian sea. The numbers of cyclones vary
with seasons, months and places over which
they are passing. Usually they are increasing in
the winter, decreasing in the autumn and
finally disappear completely in the summer.
Also the number of cyclones moving over the
south is greater than that moving across both
zone of mountains and foothills. For instance,
the annual number of cyclones in the south is
about 75 while in the north is reaches 40.
However, the north and northeast of Iraq Figuer1. The geographical location a
usually receive higher amount of rain than the feature of study area (Iraq)
south. This is because the precipitations in the Figure1. The Mann-Kendall trend test has
north are orographic as much as it is cyclonic been applied to monthly wind speed which
(9). Data have been acquired mainaly monthly revealed substantial changes. table 1 shows
average of wind speed from two sources, that the northern region is less affected than
firstly derived from ECMWF reanalysis the rest of the country, with 76% of the
project (ERA-40) Data and secondly monthly stations have increasing trends in monthly
average of wind speed from the Iraqi wind speed, while 22% of the stations

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 Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi
presenting decreasing trends in monthly the stations presenting decreasing trends in
wind speed. Khanqin and Taleafer stations monthly wind speed. The results show that
faced a decrease in a trend in all months of the middle and Southern regions are
the year. In the middle region, all significant witnessing decreasing the average wind
trends are downward. about 75% of speed, especially during the summer of the
thestations have decreasing trends in year. which is consistent with the scientific
monthly wind speed, while 24% of the studies indicating the decrease of speed
stations presenting increasing trends in wind surface in several parts of the world
monthly wind speed. In the southern region, during the last decades.
about 52% of the stations have increasing
trends in monthly wind speed, while 48% of
Table 1. magnitude of the significant trends of Mann-Kendall trend test for the study area.
Region Station Jan. Feb. Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Emadiyah 0.007 0.002 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.007 0.002 0.002 0.004 0.005 -0.001 0.008
Salahaddin 0.009 0.002 0.01 0.01 0.009 0.002 0.002 0 0.003 0.005 0.002 0.011
Sulaymaniyah 0.006 0.003 0.013 0.012 0.01 0.003 0.002 0.001 0.006 0.006 -0.003 0.008
Sinjar 0.005 -0.002 0.007 0.006 0.006 0.009 0.002 0.003 0.01 0.005 -0.001 0.007
Duhook 0.006 0 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.007 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.004 -0.003 0.007
Northern

Zakho 0.005 -0.001 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.007 0.002 0.004 0.004 0.003 -0.004 0.005
Arbil 0.011 0 0.01 0.009 0.005 0.004 0.002 -0.001 0.002 0.005 0.001 0.011
Rabiah 0.011 0.02 0.013 0.022 0.023 0.054 0.044 0.04 0.039 0.032 0.028 0.033
Taleafer -0.037 -0.047 -0.029 -0.021 -0.034 -0.037 -0.046 -0.036 -0.024 -0.023 -0.023 -0.015
Kirkuk 0.033 0.023 0.018 0.008 0.001 0.003 0.006 -0.001 0.015 0.014 0.014 0.02
dukcan 0.008 -0.089 0.013 0.012 0.011 0.005 0.003 0.001 0.006 0.007 -0.001 0.011
Mosul 0.046 0.026 0.032 0.038 0.032 0.029 0.025 0.027 0.038 0.032 0.029 0.033
Khanqin -0.042 -0.066 -0.059 -0.064 -0.064 -0.071 -0.054 -0.05 -0.043 -0.061 -0.051 -0.046
biji 0.018 0.002 0.003 0.003 -0.007 -0.016 -0.017 -0.022 0.004 0 0.008 0.011
Najaf -0.012 -0.018 -0.016 -0.026 -0.025 -0.032 -0.034 -0.038 -0.02 -0.018 -0.017 -0.013
Middle

Kerbela -0.006 -0.017 -0.005 -0.015 -0.021 -0.021 -0.04 -0.051 -0.013 -0.013 -0.014 -0.01
Hella -0.01 -0.019 -0.027 -0.014 -0.019 -0.028 -0.029 -0.039 -0.027 -0.028 -0.027 -0.02
Diwaniya -0.053 -0.059 -0.062 -0.058 -0.062 -0.085 -0.098 -0.078 -0.04 -0.045 -0.047 -0.056
Baghdad 0.005 0.004 0.003 0.005 0.003 0.005 0.003 -0.007 0.017 0.01 -0.002 0.011
Nukheb 0.006 0.003 -0.002 -0.005 -0.018 -0.004 0.003 -0.021 0.003 0.01 0.02 0.019
Rutba -0.005 -0.028 -0.017 -0.02 -0.011 -0.011 -0.01 -0.028 -0.012 -0.004 -0.002 0.003
Anah 0.006 -0.004 0.01 0.001 0.007 0.009 0.012 -0.009 0.012 0.004 0.002 0.005
Hadithah 0.021 0.012 0.008 0.005 0.003 -0.018 -0.02 -0.036 0.002 0.013 0.01 0.019
Southern

Hai -0.052 -0.061 -0.066 -0.071 -0.076 -0.071 -0.084 -0.09 -0.053 -0.061 -0.075 -0.064
Samawa 0.027 0.01 0.011 0.014 0.022 0.031 0.026 0.016 0.034 0.022 0.015 0.019
Amara 0.003 -0.001 0.005 -0.005 -0.021 -0.041 -0.058 -0.066 -0.01 -0.011 -0.016 -0.006
Nasiriya -0.036 -0.048 -0.05 -0.057 -0.079 -0.103 -0.107 -0.091 -0.047 -0.052 -0.053 -0.043
Basra 0.032 0.026 0.025 0.026 0.013 0.027 0.02 -0.002 0.037 0.033 0.019 0.033
Fao 0.002 0.011 0.012 0.014 0.009 0.022 0.017 -0.01 0.035 0.013 -0.003 0.008

Monthly wind speed analysis speed in all study area was 3.6‫ة‬m/sec, in the
Figure 2, shows the average monthly wind northern region; the average wind speed
speed for Northern, Middle and Southern reached 2.7m/sec, which is less than the
regions covers the study area. Wind values general Average. In the middle region, the
start to increase from January and reaching the average wind speed was 3.6 which is equal to
highest values in Jun and July, and then start to the average of the wind speed of the study
reduce till December. The results showed that area.in the southern region, the average of the
all curves of monthly wind speed have a bell- wind speed was 4.4 m/sec It is higher than the
shaped histogram for all stations. The wind average of the study area. The results showed

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi
that the month of June recorded the highest wind speed recorded in December during the
rate of wind speed, while the lowest rate of study period.
of the country. The middle and southern
regions consist of three classes range from
(3.5- 5) m/s , and covered 73% of the study
area. During the summer months (June-
August), the northern region consists of three
classes from 2.5 to 4 m/s, which covers
about 27% of the country. The middle and
southern regions consist of three classes
range from (3.5- 5) m/s , and covered 73%
of the study area.

Figure2. Monthly Averaged wind speed for

the period (1981-2017) for study area
Spatial analysis of monthly wind speed
The spatial analysis of monthly wind speed
during the period study is shown in Figures 3
and 4. During the winter months (December-
February) it can be seen that the study area
can be divided into six categories depending
on the monthly average of wind speed
ranging from (1- 4.5)m/s. The northern
region usually includes two types of wind
speed, the first class is (2 – 2.5) m/s, and the
second class has a mean wind rate of 2 to
3.The middle and southern regions consists
of four classes range from (3- 5) m/s, and Figuer3. Spatial distribution of wind
covered three quarters of the study area. speed for January –December during the
During the spring months (March-May), the period (1981-2015).
northern region consists of three classes
from 2 to 3.5 m/s, which covers about 27%

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi

Followed Figure 3 Followed Figure 3

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi

Followed Figure 3

Followed Figure 3
Spatial analysis of Seasonal wind speed
The spatial analysis of seasonal wind speed
during the period study is shown in Figure 5. It
can be seen that the wind speeds have a
temporal variation in the study area between
winter, spring, summer, and autumn in the
year. In winter and autumn, the northern region
contains two distinct areas, with a wind speed
range from 2-3 m/s, which covers about 29%
from the country. the average wind speed in
this region has 2.4, 2.8, 3.0, 2.5 m/s during
winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The
middle and southern regions have three areas,
the range from 3-4.5 m/s which covers about
69% of the study area. A significant rising of
wind speed values can be observed in Iraq
during the spring and summer seasons. Wind
speeds rise gradually during spring, reaching in
the middle and southern regions, 3.4 and 3.6
m/s respectively. During the summer, the wind
speed increases as it reaches 5 and 5.5 in the
middle and southern regions, respectively. The
Increase wind speed in the summer due to the
high-temperature values recorded and affecting
the values of atmospheric pressure. Wind speed
decreases during the autumn. Seasonal wind
speeds show the highest values recorded in the
summer and spring seasons and the lowest in
the autumn and winter seasons.

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi

Figuer5. Spatial distribution of wind speed

for season during the period (1981-2015).
Spatial analysis of annual wind speed
The spatial analysis of annual wind speed
during the period study is shown in Figure 6.
It can be seen that the value of wind speed in
the northern region ranged from 2 m/s to 3
m/s. In the middle region, the range of wind
speed is between 3 m/s and 4 m/s .while the
value of wind speed was in the southern
region the range from 4 m/s to 5 m/s. It has
been shown that the annual average of wind
speed in the northern, middle and southern
regions were 2.7 m/s, 3.6 m/s and 4.1 m/s
respectively. While the annual average of
wind speed in the study area "Iraq" was 3.6
m/s. The winds were low in the northern
region compared to the middle and southern
regions because the northern region contains
high terrain and mountains that block the
flow of wind. Also, the wind speed increased
in the southern region because of the slope of
the surface of the earth and the lack of terrain.

Figuer6. Spatial distribution of wind speed for

annual during the period (1981-2015).

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Iraqi Journal of Agricultural Sciences –2019:50(6):1621-1629 Adeeb & Al-Timimi
CONCLUSIONS 4.Al-Timimi, Y.K. and Al-Khudhairy A. A.
In this study, the monthly wind speed over Iraq .2017. Spatial and temporal temperature trends
was analyzed for 39 stations (1981-2017). on Iraq during 1980-2015. Conf. Ser. 1003
Monthly distributions for wind speed show 012091 Journal of Physics: Conf. Series.
Spatial and temporal variations. The results 5.Gavrilov, M.B.2018. Assessing average
show that the middle and Southern regions are annual air temperature trends using the Mann–
witnessing decreasing the average wind speed, Kendall test in Kosovo. Acta Geographica
especially during the summer of the year. Slovenica. 58(1):8-25.
which is consistent with the scientific studies 6.Gilbert, R.O. 1987. Statistical Methods for
indicating the decrease of speed wind surface Environmental Pollution Monitoring.: John
in several parts of the world during the last Wiley & Sons. pp: 336.
decades. wind speed value reaches its highest 7.James G. and Bruce A. Napier.2008. Wind
value in (Jun and July), and the lowest value direction bias in generating wind roses and
of wind speed was in December. Seasonal conducting sector-based air dispersion
wind speeds show the highest values recorded modeling , Journal of the Air and Waste
in the summer and spring seasons and the Management Association .58(7): 913-918.
lowest in the autumn and winter seasons. It has 8.Jawad, L. A.2019. Determination of optimum
been shown that the annual average of wind dam location in al-abedh basin utilizing remote
speed in the northern, middle and southern sensing and geographical information system
regions were 2.7 m/s, 3.6 m/s and 4.1 m/s techniques. Iraqi Journal of Agricultural
respectively. While the annual average of wind Sciences.50(SpecialIssue):111-130.
speed in the study area "Iraq" was 3.6 m/s. The 9.Jawad, T. K. O. T. Al-Taai, and Y. K.Al-
winds were low in the northern region Timimi , 2018. Evaluation of drought in iraq
compared to the middle and southern regions using dsi. by remote sensing.Iraqi Journal of
because the northern region contains high Agricultural Sciences. 49(6):1132-1145
terrain and mountains that block the flow of 10.McVicar, T. R. and M. L. Roderick .2010.
wind. Also, the wind speed increased in the Atmospheric science: Winds of change. Nature,
southern region because of the slope of the 3(11): 47–748.
surface of the earth and the lack of terrain. 11.Salahaddin A. and A. O. Meeran 2013.
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