Spatial Variability and Persistence of Soil Moisture in Oklahoma

Abstract

Using a hydrologic model to estimate daily soil moisture at 258 evaluation locations over a 30-year period, the spatial variability and persistence of soil moisture across Oklahoma is examined. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) uses readily available meteorological inputs with detailed land surface information. Spatial variability of soil moisture across Oklahoma is extremely dynamic and exhibits a remarkable range of individual characteristics due to the heterogeneous land surface. An autocorrelation analysis is used to evaluate the persistence of soil moisture at each evaluation location. In general, soil moisture across Oklahoma persists from 5 to 10 weeks in the eastern portion of Oklahoma to over 30 weeks in western Oklahoma as a result of the large-scale climatic variability of precipitation supply and evapotranspiration demand. However, the lags are not spatially coherent due to the heterogeneity of the land surface. Land surface characteristics potentially influencing the persistence of soil moisture across Oklahoma are examined, including vegetation type and soil texture and depth. Of the three parameters, soil depth plays a significant role in the memory of soil moisture conditions. As the soil profile depth increases, a corresponding increase in the persistence of soil moisture occurs.