Project Description: We are using the methodology outlined in Christian et al. (2019) to develop a global flash drought climatology using evaporative stress anomalies from the NASA MERRA-2 and ERA-Interim reanalysis datasets. We are also examining specific case studies of flash drought that would be of interest to the stakeholders, including cases that have occurred outside the areas that are considered a flash drought hotspot. Finally, we will be using past case studies to assist with improving understanding of the hydrological and agricultural impacts of flash drought, with an objective of improving projections of future flash drought events.
End Users/Stakeholders: U.S. Army Special Operations Command; U.S. Army Center for Intelligence; U.S. Air Force Headquarters; 557th Weather Wing/14th Weather Squadron, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; 557th Weather Wing/ACC); USDA-FAS (Katie McGauhey)
Data sources, models, technology: MERRA-2, MODIS, Land Information Systems (LIS) framework, ERA-Interim, GDAS