Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Influence of MODIS-Derived Dynamic Vegetation on VIC-Simulated Soil Moisture in Oklahoma

Trent W. Ford Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

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Steven M. Quiring Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

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Print Publication:
01 Dec 2013
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-13-037.1
Page(s):
1910–1921
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Abstract

Soil moisture–vegetation interactions are an important component of land–atmosphere coupling, especially in semiarid regions such as the North American Great Plains. However, many land surface models parameterize vegetation using an interannually invariant leaf area index (LAI). This study quantifies how utilizing a dynamic vegetation parameter in the variability infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrologic model influences model-simulated soil moisture. Accuracy is assessed using in situ soil moisture observations from 20 stations from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Results show that VIC simulations generated with an interannually variant LAI parameter are not consistently more accurate than those generated with the invariant (static) LAI parameter. However, the static LAI parameter tends to overestimate LAI during anomalously dry periods. This has the greatest influence on the accuracy of the soil moisture simulations in the deeper soil layers. Soil moisture drought, as simulated with the static LAI parameter, tends to be more severe and persist for considerably longer than drought simulated using the interannually variant LAI parameter. Dynamic vegetation parameters can represent interannual variations in vegetation health and growing season length. Therefore, simulations with a dynamic LAI parameter better capture the intensity and duration of drought conditions and are recommended for use in drought monitoring.

Corresponding author address: Trent W. Ford, Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, 814 Eller O&M Bldg., MS 3147, College Station, TX 77843-3147. E-mail: twford@tamu.edu

Abstract

Soil moisture–vegetation interactions are an important component of land–atmosphere coupling, especially in semiarid regions such as the North American Great Plains. However, many land surface models parameterize vegetation using an interannually invariant leaf area index (LAI). This study quantifies how utilizing a dynamic vegetation parameter in the variability infiltration capacity (VIC) hydrologic model influences model-simulated soil moisture. Accuracy is assessed using in situ soil moisture observations from 20 stations from the Oklahoma Mesonet. Results show that VIC simulations generated with an interannually variant LAI parameter are not consistently more accurate than those generated with the invariant (static) LAI parameter. However, the static LAI parameter tends to overestimate LAI during anomalously dry periods. This has the greatest influence on the accuracy of the soil moisture simulations in the deeper soil layers. Soil moisture drought, as simulated with the static LAI parameter, tends to be more severe and persist for considerably longer than drought simulated using the interannually variant LAI parameter. Dynamic vegetation parameters can represent interannual variations in vegetation health and growing season length. Therefore, simulations with a dynamic LAI parameter better capture the intensity and duration of drought conditions and are recommended for use in drought monitoring.

Corresponding author address: Trent W. Ford, Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, 814 Eller O&M Bldg., MS 3147, College Station, TX 77843-3147. E-mail: twford@tamu.edu
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