The Quick Drought Response Index (QuickDRI) – A New Tool for Monitoring Rapid Changes in Drought Conditions

The Quick Drought Response Index (QuickDRI) is a new remote sensing-based composite drought indicator of short-terms changes in drought conditions and the detection of rapid-onset events such as flash drought. QuickDRI integrates several remote sensing products that characterize different components of the hydrologic cycle (evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and vegetation status) with climate date (Standardized Precipitation Index and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index) and several descriptors of the environment (land use/land cover type, soils and elevation). An empirical-based, data mining approach was used to analyze 15+-year data record for each input variable and develop a series of weekly QuickDRI models that can be implemented over the continental United States (CONUS). The QuickDRI tool and weekly i1-km resolution products will be available operationally for the CONUS by the summer 2017. This paper presents the QuickDRI methodology including the general rationale for this type of indicator and the specific methodology to derive this composite drought index. Results of QuickDRI model testing over the CONUS will be summarized. Case examples from the 2011 and 2012 flash drought events over the U.S. Southern Great Plains and Corn Belt regions, respectively, will be highlighted to demonstrate the index’s applicability for detecting rapid onset and short-term changes in drought conditions.