Flash Drought Characteristics Based on U.S. Drought Monitor

Understanding the characteristics of flash drought events and further predicting the onset of such events on subseasonal timescales is of critical importance for impact assessment, disaster mitigation, and loss prevention. In this study, we employ a rate-of-change approach and define a flash drought...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAtmosphere Vol. 10; no. 9; p. 498
Main Authors Chen, L. Gwen, Gottschalck, Jon, Hartman, Adam, Miskus, David, Tinker, Rich, Artusa, Anthony
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2019
Subjects
antecedent condition
Climate
composite analysis
Disaster management
Drought
Drought characteristics
Drought development
drought evolution
drought onset
El Nino phenomena
Emergency preparedness
ENSO
Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration rates
flash drought
frequency of occurrence
High temperature
La Nina
Mitigation
Precipitation
Radiation
Satellites
Soil
Soil conditions
Soil moisture
Soils
Standardized precipitation index
Stream flow
Warm seasons
Weather forecasting
Winds
United States > US
Great Plains
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Summary:Understanding the characteristics of flash drought events and further predicting the onset of such events on subseasonal timescales is of critical importance for impact assessment, disaster mitigation, and loss prevention. In this study, we employ a rate-of-change approach and define a flash drought event as a drought event with greater than or equal to two categories degradation in a four-week period based on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unlike conventional drought, which can occur year-round and everywhere in the United States, flash drought has preferred seasons and locations to occur, mostly in the warm season and over the central United States. Widespread flash drought over the United States is largely correlated with La Niña episodes. In contrast with conventional drought, which is mainly driven by precipitation deficits, anomalously high evapotranspiration rates, caused by anomalously high temperatures, winds, and/or incoming radiation, are usually present before the onset of flash drought. Comparing to precipitation and soil moisture, evapotranspiration typically has the largest decline rate during the fast-development phase. Three-month Standardized Precipitation Indexes are mostly dry right before flash drought onset, but large deficits are not required. As a result, monitoring rapid changes in evapotranspiration, along with precipitation and soil moisture conditions, can provide early warnings of flash drought development.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos10090498