A five-year analysis of MODIS NDVI and NDWI for grassland drought assessment over the central Great Plains of the United States

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

A five-year (2001–2005) history of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) data was analyzed for grassland drought assessment within the central United States, specifically for the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma. Initial results show strong relationships among NDVI, NDWI, and drought conditions. During the summer over the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, the average NDVI and NDWI were consistently lower (NDVI < 0.5 and NDWI < 0.3) under drought conditions than under non-drought conditions (NDVI>0.6 and NDWI>0.4). NDWI values exhibited a quicker response to drought conditions than NDVI. Analysis revealed that combining information from visible, near infrared, and short wave infrared channels improved sensitivity to drought severity. The proposed normalized difference drought index (NDDI) had a stronger response to summer drought conditions than a simple difference between NDVI and NDWI, and is therefore a more sensitive indicator of drought in grasslands than NDVI alone.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A five-year analysis of MODIS NDVI and NDWI for grassland drought assessment over the central Great Plains of the United States
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/2006GL029127
Volume 34
Issue 6
Year Published 2007
Language English
Publisher AGU
Contributing office(s) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center
Description Article L06407; 6 p.
First page 1
Last page 6
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