North American Droughts in ERA-40 Global and NCEP North American Regional Reanalyses: A Palmer Drought Severity Index Perspective Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Abstract; The Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) monitors meteorological and surface hydrological parameters to represent the severity of drought conditions. PDSI datasets are developed for the NCEP North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) and the 40-yr European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Re-Analysis (ERA-40) to facilitate North American drought research with these datasets. The drought index calculation, in particular, allows diagnostic assessment of the relative contributions of various surface water balance terms in generation of drought conditions by selectively holding these terms to their climatological value in PDSI computations. The length of the diagnosed PDSI permits analysis of subdecadal time-scale variability, such as ENSO, whose influence on North American drought evolution is investigated. ENSO’s considerable drought impact is potentially predictable, especially in the southern half of the United States.

publication date

  • May 15, 2008

has restriction

  • bronze

Date in CU Experts

  • November 12, 2015 7:03 AM

Full Author List

  • Karnauskas KB; Ruiz-Barradas A; Nigam S; Busalacchi AJ

author count

  • 4

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0894-8755

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1520-0442

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 2102

end page

  • 2123

volume

  • 21

issue

  • 10