Journal of Ecohydrology

Journal of Ecohydrology

Modeling the Functional Relationship of Cumulative Precipitation in Eastern Iranian Stations with Spatio-Temporal Variables using a Hybrid Machine Learning Approach

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
مظفر faraji 1
Mohammad Mirzavand 2
1 PhD Student, Department of Climatology, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
2 Department of Environmental Sciences and Technologies, School of Energy Engineering and Sustainable Resources, College of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.22059/ije.2026.410789.1906
Abstract
Subject: Analyzing and modeling the spatio-temporal pattern of cumulative precipitation at synoptic stations in eastern Iran using hybrid machine learning approaches.
Objective: The objective of this study is to explain and model the functional relationship between cumulative precipitation at stations in eastern Iran and spatio-temporal variables, aiming to identify dominant weather-related structures and spatial heterogeneity of precipitation through a hybrid machine learning approach.
Research Method: In this study, 24-hour cumulative precipitation data (P₍₂₄₎) from 21 synoptic stations located in eastern Iran, including the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Razavi Khorasan, and North Khorasan, were used for the period 1990–2020. The functional relationship between cumulative precipitation as the dependent variable and monthly temporal variations as the independent variable was evaluated using an estimated linear regression function. To analyze the spatial structure, the stations were classified based on cumulative precipitation data using hierarchical clustering according to Ward’s distance criterion.
Findings: The results of the linear regression analysis indicated that the adjusted coefficient of determination (Adjusted R²) was estimated at 0.64. This index demonstrates that the temporal predictor variable (months) was able to explain approximately 64.8% of the variance in the response variable (precipitation amount). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified three distinct climatic zones, including an arid and desert cluster, a semi-arid and transitional cluster, and a humid cluster. Among these, the Quchan station, with the highest mean cumulative precipitation (26.80 mm), emerged as a prominent precipitation hotspot. Overall, these findings indicate the presence of significant spatial variability and highlight the prominent role of temporal fluctuations in shaping precipitation patterns in eastern Iran.
Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the hybrid machine learning approach effectively models the spatio-temporal structure of precipitation in eastern Iran and clearly reveals regional weather-related heterogeneities. These findings provide a scientific basis for water resources management and planning in the arid and semi-arid regions of eastern Iran.
Keywords
Precipitation modeling
Machine learning
Ward’s clustering
EasternIran
Temporal variability
Precipitation
Subjects
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Journal of Ecohydrology
Volume 12, Issue 4
Autumn 2026
Pages 1005-1024

  • Receive Date 10 October 2025
  • Revise Date 22 November 2025
  • Accept Date 14 December 2025
  • First Publish Date 22 December 2025
  • Publish Date 22 December 2025