Drone-level view of the Fortaleza waterfront at the Por do Sol skyline, Fortaleza, Brazil. Adobe Stock/Daniel Soutinho, licensed image.Brazil Drought Monitor celebrates 10 years
The Brazil Drought Monitor celebrated its 10-year anniversary the week of August 19. Mark Svoboda, NDMC director, joined the milestone event in Fortaleza, Brazil, as an invited speaker. The Drought Monitor began in July 2014 during one of the worst droughts ever recorded in the region. The crisis caused by this phenomenon catalyzed discussions about the need for a paradigm shift towards proactive drought management. The NDMC was involved in the development process of the Brazilian drought monitor. Learn more: https://monitordesecas.ana.gov.br/x-anos
Paper examines 2022 flash drought event
In the summer and early fall of 2022, consecutive flash drought events interrupted by a period of recovery occurred across eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri. A paper published in Weather and Climate Extremes delves into the causes and impacts of this rare phenomenon. Brian Fuchs, NDMC monitoring coordinator, is a co-author.
Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2024.100730
Article presents improved method to monitor croplands
A lack of data can make it difficult to monitor agricultural land over wide areas and timespans. A study published in the International Journal of Remote Sensing presents an improved approach to this issue by using multiple satellites, indices and machine learning algorithms. Hasnat Aslam, NDMC GIS specialist, is a co-author.
Read the article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01431161.2024.2388864
Study evaluates regional climate and drought webinar series
Following a 2011 climate disaster, the North Central U.S. Climate and Drought Webinar Series was launched and became a monthly resource for climate and impact information over the next 10 years. A new study analyzes the efficacy of this series by evaluating societal impacts on factors including capacity-building, communication and decision-making. Tonya Haigh, NDMC social science coordinator, is the lead author.
Read the study: https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-23-0041.1
Bernadt recognized at Drought Learning Network annual meeting
The fourth annual Southwest Drought Learning Network annual meeting was held virtually on Oct. 22, 2024. During the event, Tonya Bernadt earned a Droughtie award for her contributions to the organization. Bernadt is the NDMC education and outreach specialist and DLN coordinator.
New graduate student research assistants join NDMC
The NDMC welcomed four new graduate student research assistants in August: Calvin Martin, Elli Winkler, Ethan Greenberg and Rachel Williss. Read their bios on our “Who We Are” webpage. https://drought.unl.edu/AboutUs/WhoWeAre.aspx