Abstract
Drought indicators are variables that describe the magnitude, duration, severity, and spatial extent of drought. Typical indicators are based on meteorological and hydrological variables, such as precipitation, streamflows, soil moisture, reservoir storage, and groundwater levels. Several indicators can be synthesized into a single indicator on a quantitative scale, often called a drought index. Although drought indices can provide ease of implementation, the scientific and operational meaning of an index value may raise questions, such as how each indicator is combined and weighted in the index and how an arbitrary index value relates to geophysical and statistical characteristics of drought.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Drought and Water Crises |
| Subtitle of host publication | Science, Technology, and Management Issues |
| Publisher | CRC Press |
| Pages | 71-92 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781420028386 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780824727710 |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2005 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Engineering
- General Environmental Science