Integrating satellite and climate data for U.S. drought mapping and monitoring: First steps

Although droughts are normal, recurring climate phenomena, they challenge our current ability to plan, predict, monitor, and provide relief to drought stricken areas. Because of the spatial and temporal variability of droughts, we need to improve the tools available to map and monitor them on many scales from local to national. A team of researchers from the US Geological Survey’s EROS Data Center, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and the High Plains Regional Climate Center are developing a prototype system for regional-scale drought monitoring for the conterminous US. This project is in its first year of development. The ultimate goal is to deliver near real-time geo-referenced information (in the form of maps and data) about drought-impacted areas in the US, using the Internet as a primary delivery mechanism.

For the pilot study, the project team is developing methods to integrate satellite data and traditional climate data over the central US. Although, these two information sources reflect different spatial resolutions they should prove complementary for the mapping goals of the project. During the summer of 2002, much of the Great Plains and the Southwest U.S. experienced drought conditions. We initiated a case study in South Dakota and Nebraska to develop and test methods.