Abstract
Abstract. We present here the first experiments for an integrated system that is under development for drought monitoring and water resources assessment in Tuscany Region in central Italy. The system is based on the cross-evaluation of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Vegetation Indices from remote sensing (from MODIS and SEVIRI-MSG), and outputs from the distributed hydrological model MOBIDIC, that is used in real-time for water balance evaluation and hydrological forecast in the major basins of Tuscany. Furthermore, a telemetric network of aquifer levels is near completion in the region, and data from nearly 50 stations are already available in real-time. Preliminary estimates of drought indices over Tuscany in the first eight months of 2007 are shown, and pathway for further studies on the correlation between patterns of crop water stress, precipitation deficit and groundwater conditions is discussed.
Highlights
It is known that drought is a complex phenomenon whose impacts have different time scales
A drought is always the consequence of a natural reduction in the amount of precipitation over an extended period of time its severity depends on the duration, season of occurrence, spatial extent of the affected area and, on the impacts it causes to human activities, agriculture and environment
Compared to other natural hazards, in a sense, drought is more difficult to monitor since it is a slow phenomenon and its impacts can be underestimated until they reach peak intensities
Summary
It is known that drought is a complex phenomenon whose impacts have different time scales. (a) computing if the cumulated precipitation over a relevant period of time can be considered insufficient with respect to some expected value , (b) estimating if and when such rainfall scarcity provokes reduction in streamflow and lowering of groundwater levels, (c) assessing if soil moisture conditions are sufficient to guarantee an adequate water supply to crops and vegetation These effects are strictly correlated and to some extent consequential: interactions are complex and can be difficult to predict. The outputs of MOBIDIC are estimated and predicted itoring system, following international examples like the US soil water content (in “large” and “small” pores), hydrologi- Drought Monitor (www.drought.unl.edu) Main components of such system will be: (1) meteorologtemperature) and discharge in each branch of the river net- ical indices from the statistical analysis of recorded rainfall work, including minor branches. Data; (2) Vegetation Indices from remote sensing;1(23) Soil moisture conditions from MOBIDIC model; (4) Streamflow
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