In:
Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science, Thomas Telford Ltd.
Abstract:
Droughts have become more severe and prolonged in recent years, causing significant social and environmental impacts. Analyzing the drought conditions with various climatic and socioeconomic factors is critical for effective drought monitoring. This study investigated the correlation between drought severity and climatic and socioeconomic changes in a study area – San Diego County, California. The drought severity was quantified using three drought indices: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), and Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI). These indices were also used to describe the variation of the drought severity in the study area. The study employed Spearman’s correlation coefficient analysis to evaluate the correlations between the drought indices and climatic and socioeconomic factors. The results showed that the drought indices evaluated similar variations of the droughts in the study area; however, the severity, duration, and frequency of the droughts varied with the time scales in the drought index analysis. Additionally, this study found that the drought conditions based on the three indices had strong negative correlations with precipitation, soil moisture, agricultural area, and forest area, which were more pronounced as the time scale increased. The findings will provide insights into effective drought monitoring and management, especially targeting severe droughts.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1496-2551
,
1496-256X
DOI:
10.1680/jenes.23.00070
Language:
English
Publisher:
Thomas Telford Ltd.
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2074025-6
