Improving a comprehensive remote sensing drought index (CRSDI) in the Western part of Iran

Numerous remote sensing indices have been introduced to investigate the drought. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop a Comprehensive Remote Sensing Drought Index (CRSDI) using the strengths of the previous Remote Sensing Drought Indices (RSDIs). Eleven mostly used RSDIs were used to develop CRSDI. Aras and Karkheh basins were studied as representative of Western Iran. Vegetation indices and surface temperature were derived from the products of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE (and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) data were used to extract groundwater information. The performances of RSDIs were evaluated using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) acquired from 13 synoptic stations. The correlation coefficients between CRSDI against six-month SPI and nine-month SPI were obtained as 0.66 and 0.56, respectively. Then, the results proved the proper efficiency of the CRSDI to investigate the drought in the study area.