$1 million in federal funding for two projects focused on drought, water availability and agricultural water use across the Southeast.
Two projects will examine water availability
The two-year research projects are funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System. Lee Ellenburg, Alabama State Climatologist and a UAH associate professor, leads both efforts.
One NOAA-funded project will examine how rainfall contributes to water that remains available in the soil and near the land surface. Researchers will use hourly rainfall and soil-moisture data from monitoring networks throughout the Southeast.
The team plans to develop a near-real-time drought indicator called the Standardized Effective Precipitation Index. The tool could provide additional information for assessing drought conditions alongside existing monitoring methods.
Researchers will study how rainfall affects drought
The research will look beyond total rainfall amounts to examine how much water actually remains available after a storm.
For example, heavy rainfall can produce significant runoff, meaning some of the water may not reach or remain in the soil. By studying rainfall intensity, frequency and distribution, researchers hope to better understand how precipitation affects drought conditions on the ground.
The project will also bring together state climate offices and regional drought specialists through a Southeastern Drought Working Group. Findings could eventually be shared through regional and national drought information platforms.
Another project will track water loss
The second project, funded by the USGS, will evaluate OpenET, a system that combines satellite observations and scientific models to estimate evapotranspiration. The process measures water moving from soil and vegetation back into the atmosphere.
Ellenburg leads the project with UAH researcher Vikalp Mishra, working with USGS and OpenET partners. The team will compare OpenET estimates with observations and other models to determine how accurately the system represents conditions across the humid Southeast.
Researchers say the findings could help with drought monitoring, irrigation planning and agricultural water management. Together, the two projects will examine different parts of the region’s water cycle and build on UAH’s research in drought, hydrology and climate science.
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