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JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH,
VOL. 114,
B05404,
9 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008JB006056
2005 drought event in the Amazon River basin as measured by GRACE and estimated by climate models
Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Center for Space Research, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
Satellite gravity measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) provide new quantitative measures of the 2005 extreme drought event in the Amazon river basin, regarded as the worst in over a century. GRACE measures a significant decrease in terrestrial water storage (TWS) in the central Amazon basin in the summer of 2005, relative to the average of the 5 other summer periods in the GRACE era. In contrast, data-assimilating climate and land surface models significantly underestimate the drought intensity. GRACE measurements are consistent with accumulated precipitation data from satellite remote sensing and are also supported by in situ water-level data from river gauge stations. This study demonstrates the unique potential of satellite gravity measurements in monitoring large-scale severe drought and flooding events and in evaluating advanced climate and land surface models.
Received 1 September 2008; accepted 2 March 2009; published 8 May 2009.
Citation: (2009), 2005 drought event in the Amazon River basin as measured by GRACE and estimated by climate models, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B05404, doi:10.1029/2008JB006056.
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