Classification of Air Masses in Urmiah by Cluster Analysis and Quality Control Inter Group’s Variance Indices

Abstract

In order to dong this study, daily data of 34 meteorological variables during 1/1/1961 to 30/6/2013 from Urmiah synoptic station has been used. Cluster Analysis with Ward method applied on the Euclidean distance. The numbers of clusters determined by quality control inter group’s variance Indices. The results show that clustering air mass to seven groups is the optimum. The second air mass is the most rainiest air mass which its rainy occurrence probability equal to 65.7% and the amount of precipitation per day equal to 6.6 mm. The fourth air mass is the hottest and drier air mass which has observed in the one third of year’s day. The fourth air mass with the occurrence index of 0.89 and with persistency of 9 days is the most stable air mass. While the third air mass with the occurrence index of 0.43 and with persistency of 1.7 days is the most unstable air mass. The third air mass with sequantality of 21.1% is the most agreeable air mass which occurs after the second air mass subsequently. Daily variety of air mass index get highest value during winter season (69%) while it gets to zero in some days of July and August which indicates a certain air mass (the fourth).

Keywords

• classification
• weather types
• cluster analysis
• urmiah