This training is focused on the introduction of the NASA Land Information System (LIS) output of soil moisture at various depths for drought analysis and monitoring. Traditional drought applications and indices focus on sensible weather (temperature, wind, etc.) and precipitation trends and their impacts on the hydrologic system. As a result of the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) program research-to-operations (R2O) work, this training will demonstrate how LIS output of soil moisture from a land surface model (LSM) can be included in traditional drought monitoring. The NASA SPoRT Program has implemented a version of NASA LIS (SPoRT LIS) that utilizes near real-time Green Vegetation Fraction (GVF) from S-NPP/VIIRS retrievals, as opposed to static, climatology values of GVF.
Additionally, near real-time forcing of the LSM by the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) precipitation and the Global Data Assimilation Suite (GDAS) sensible weather data provide low latency. Each of these allow for a more accurate depiction of vegetation and soil moisture impacts related to both long-term and flash drought events. Research-to-Operations work has led to derived percentile products for soil moisture, and low percentile values from SPoRT LIS have been shown to correspond well to areas experiencing short-term drought within the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). Via operations-to-research (O2R) activities with end-users, soil moisture changes on various timescales pertinent to drought applications have been added to the SPoRT-LIS output data suite.
This training will improve the user’s understanding of how water infiltration and retention occur within LIS in order to improve the interpretation and application of this output for drought monitoring. Conducted by experts in LIS and operational drought monitoring, the overall course will enable users to implement LIS soil moisture percentile products for drought applications. Examples from operational applications as well as practice exercises (for using LIS data for drought monitoring) will be included in this course. Access to the LIS products via online viewer, in GIS formats, and GIS-based display tools, will also be included. Moreover, self-paced microlessons will be available to allow users to confirm their understanding and improve their skill via homework lessons between live sessions.