University of Kurdistan | Iran
Dr. Mohammad Darand is an accomplished climatologist whose academic and research career spans over two decades, with a strong focus on synoptic climatology, climate change, and environmental climate analysis. He earned his Ph.D. in Synoptic Climatology from the University of Isfahan in 2011, following an M.Sc. in Environmental Climatology from Tarbiat Modares University and a B.Sc. in Climatology from Kharazmi University. Since joining the University of Kurdistan in 2012, he has progressed through academic ranks from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in 2016, and subsequently to Professor in 2021. Dr. Darand has established himself as a leading researcher in climatology, contributing extensively to the understanding of Iran’s climatic processes, precipitation variability, atmospheric dynamics, and climate extremes. His prolific publication record includes numerous articles in high-impact journals such as Climatic Change, International Journal of Climatology, Meteorological Applications, Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, and Climate Dynamics. His research spans a broad range of topics including precipitation concentration trends, land surface temperature dynamics, atmospheric moisture variability, drought and flood-prone region identification, evaluation of satellite precipitation datasets, and the influence of thermal and synoptic patterns on climatic hazards in Iran. Dr. Darand has also contributed important insights into climate model projections for temperature and precipitation extremes, enabling better regional climate adaptation strategies. His collaborative works with national and international researchers further highlight his global engagement in climate science. In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Darand is a dedicated educator, having taught key climatology courses from 2011 to the present. His teaching portfolio includes Synoptic Climatology, Advanced Statistical Methods in Climatology, Climatic Software and Programming, and Introduction to Programming. His pedagogical approach integrates rigorous theoretical foundations with practical analytical skills, preparing students for advanced research and applied atmospheric science. His teaching and research interests are strongly aligned, focusing on climatology, dynamic and synoptic climatology, and climate change. Dr. Darand’s ongoing investigations, including several manuscripts under review, continue to advance scientific understanding of Iran’s climate system. His expertise significantly contributes to national discussions on climate resilience, environmental planning, and sustainable development in arid and semi-arid regions.
Featured Publications
Darand, M., Amanollahi, J., & Zandkarimi, S. (2017). Evaluation of the performance of TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) estimation over Iran. Atmospheric Research, 190, 121–127.
Darand, M., & Mansouri Daneshvar, M. R. (2014). Regionalization of precipitation regimes in Iran using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. Environmental Processes, 1(4), 517–532.
Eini, M. R., Javadi, S., Delavar, M., Monteiro, J. A. F., & Darand, M. (2019). High accuracy of precipitation reanalyses resulted in good river discharge simulations in a semi-arid basin. Ecological Engineering, 131, 107–119.
Darand, M., & Khandu, K. (2020). Statistical evaluation of gridded precipitation datasets using rain gauge observations over Iran. Journal of Arid Environments, 178, 104172.
Darand, M., Dostkamyan, M., & Rehmani, M. I. A. (2017). Spatial autocorrelation analysis of extreme precipitation in Iran. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology, 42(6), 415–424.
Darand, M., Masoodian, A., Nazaripour, H., & Mansouri Daneshvar, M. R. (2015). Spatial and temporal trend analysis of temperature extremes based on Iranian climatic database (1962–2004). Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 8(10), 8469–8480.
Darand, M., & Sohrabi, M. M. (2018). Identifying drought-and flood-prone areas based on significant changes in daily precipitation over Iran. Natural Hazards, 90, 1427–1446.
Gholizadeh, M. H., Farajzadeh, M., & Darand, M. (2009). The correlation between air pollution and human mortality in Tehran. HAKIM Research Journal, 12(2), 65–71.