Soil moisture variability in Iowa

Abstract

ABSTRACTThirty years (1954–1983) of soil moisture data from 60 sites in Iowa are used to identify the dominant modes of spatial and temporal variability. Both soil moisture and precipitation exhibit a northwest to southeast gradient across Iowa, with wetter conditions in the southeast and drier conditions in the northwest. Climate and soil characteristics are responsible for the spatial variations in soil moisture. There is a pronounced annual soil moisture cycle that has three distinct phases: a moist phase (April–June), a drying phase (June–September), and a recharge phase (September–November). Spring soil moisture is strongly controlled by the amount of recharge during the previous fall. There is no evidence of a long‐term trend in soil moisture; however there is significant interannual variability and about 20% of the variance is attributable to El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The warm (cold) phase of ENSO is associated with above (below) average soil moisture in Iowa. The multi‐decadal soil moisture record is used to analyse drought frequency and magnitude in Iowa, and to place the 2012 Midwest drought in historical context. In general, Iowa drought is more common during the latter part of the warm season (August through November), but tends to be more severe during the early part of the warm season (April–July). We find that the 2012 drought was unusual because it persisted and intensified throughout the growing season.