Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO
Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) is one of the least-monitored variables within the hydrologic cycle. Given the importance of RZSM to agriculture, more effort is needed to understand the potential impacts of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO), Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and Atlantic multi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/12/2037 |
| _version_ | 1797564233334915072 |
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| author | Kenneth J. Tobin Roberto Torres Marvin E. Bennett Jianzhi Dong Wade T. Crow |
| author_facet | Kenneth J. Tobin Roberto Torres Marvin E. Bennett Jianzhi Dong Wade T. Crow |
| author_sort | Kenneth J. Tobin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) is one of the least-monitored variables within the hydrologic cycle. Given the importance of RZSM to agriculture, more effort is needed to understand the potential impacts of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO), Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) on this critical variable. This study focused on the CONtiguous United States (CONUS) RZSM (0 to 40 cm depth) over nearly three decades (1992 to 2018). Basic trend analysis with the Mann–Kendall test and wavelet transform coherence (WTC) was utilized. The RZSM product examined was Soil MERGE (SMERGE 2.0). More CONUS pixels exhibited drying (56 to 75%) versus wetting (25 to 44%) trends between 1992 and 2018. Seasonal wetting trends were observed particularly during winter in the Southwest and Northwest regions associated with El Nino and La Nina episodes, respectively. The noted long-term RZSM trends are more clearly attributable to oceanic-atmospheric teleconnections than global climate change. The most significant result was the strong drying trend in central CONUS reflected a shift to La Nina and cool PDO conditions during the 2000s, further amplified by a change to positive AMO corresponding with this period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:54:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9ca45173438d4d889ef0d53c245beeaf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T18:54:28Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-9ca45173438d4d889ef0d53c245beeaf2023-11-20T04:53:44ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-06-011212203710.3390/rs12122037Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSOKenneth J. Tobin0Roberto Torres1Marvin E. Bennett2Jianzhi Dong3Wade T. Crow4Center for Earth and Environmental Studies, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX 78041-1900, USACenter for Earth and Environmental Studies, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX 78041-1900, USACenter for Earth and Environmental Studies, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX 78041-1900, USAUS Department of Agriculture Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USAUS Department of Agriculture Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705, USARoot zone soil moisture (RZSM) is one of the least-monitored variables within the hydrologic cycle. Given the importance of RZSM to agriculture, more effort is needed to understand the potential impacts of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO), Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) on this critical variable. This study focused on the CONtiguous United States (CONUS) RZSM (0 to 40 cm depth) over nearly three decades (1992 to 2018). Basic trend analysis with the Mann–Kendall test and wavelet transform coherence (WTC) was utilized. The RZSM product examined was Soil MERGE (SMERGE 2.0). More CONUS pixels exhibited drying (56 to 75%) versus wetting (25 to 44%) trends between 1992 and 2018. Seasonal wetting trends were observed particularly during winter in the Southwest and Northwest regions associated with El Nino and La Nina episodes, respectively. The noted long-term RZSM trends are more clearly attributable to oceanic-atmospheric teleconnections than global climate change. The most significant result was the strong drying trend in central CONUS reflected a shift to La Nina and cool PDO conditions during the 2000s, further amplified by a change to positive AMO corresponding with this period.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/12/2037root zone soil moistureSMERGE 2.0 RZSMMann–Kendall testwavelet transform coherenceEl Niño Southern Oscillationclimate change |
| spellingShingle | Kenneth J. Tobin Roberto Torres Marvin E. Bennett Jianzhi Dong Wade T. Crow Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO Remote Sensing root zone soil moisture SMERGE 2.0 RZSM Mann–Kendall test wavelet transform coherence El Niño Southern Oscillation climate change |
| title | Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO |
| title_full | Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO |
| title_fullStr | Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO |
| title_short | Long-Term Trends in Root-Zone Soil Moisture across CONUS Connected to ENSO |
| title_sort | long term trends in root zone soil moisture across conus connected to enso |
| topic | root zone soil moisture SMERGE 2.0 RZSM Mann–Kendall test wavelet transform coherence El Niño Southern Oscillation climate change |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/12/2037 |
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