Topic #5: Land water storage variability as a function of human and natural controls

Datasets

1. GRACE moisture storage (equivalent water height over land)
2. TRMM precipitation
3. CERES surface downwelling shortwave radiation

Geographic foci

1. Northern India
2. southwest US

Questions

1. Is there an apparent seasonality in GRACE soil water storage in heavily managed (agricultural) regions?
2. How does that seasonality temporally align with seasonality in precipitation, relative to the agricultural seasons when soil water is used for irrigation?
3. From these datasets, what conclusions can we draw regarding the primary driver of soil water storage in this system? Can these datasets be used to identify energy and water-limited environments?

Contact Scientist

Dr. Konstantinos Andreadis