Global distribution, trends, and drivers of flash drought occurrence

Jordan I. Christian (), Jeffrey B. Basara, Eric D. Hunt, Jason A. Otkin, Jason C. Furtado, Vimal Mishra, Xiangming Xiao and Robb M. Randall
Additional contact information
Jordan I. Christian: University of Oklahoma
Jeffrey B. Basara: University of Oklahoma
Eric D. Hunt: Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.
Jason A. Otkin: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Jason C. Furtado: University of Oklahoma
Vimal Mishra: Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Xiangming Xiao: University of Oklahoma
Robb M. Randall: CCDC Army Research Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Flash drought is characterized by a period of rapid drought intensification with impacts on agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, and the human environment. Addressing these challenges requires a fundamental understanding of flash drought occurrence. This study identifies global hotspots for flash drought from 1980–2015 via anomalies in evaporative stress and the standardized evaporative stress ratio. Flash drought hotspots exist over Brazil, the Sahel, the Great Rift Valley, and India, with notable local hotspots over the central United States, southwestern Russia, and northeastern China. Six of the fifteen study regions experienced a statistically significant increase in flash drought during 1980–2015. In contrast, three study regions witnessed a significant decline in flash drought frequency. Finally, the results illustrate that multiple pathways of research are needed to further our understanding of the regional drivers of flash drought and the complex interactions between flash drought and socioeconomic impacts.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26692-z

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