Characterizing the 2022 Extreme Drought Event over the Poyang Lake Basin Using Multiple Satellite Remote Sensing Observations and In Situ Data

Abstract

With advancements in remote sensing technology and the increasing availability of remote sensing platforms, the capacity to monitor droughts using multiple satellite remote sensing observations has significantly improved. This enhanced capability facilitates a comprehensive understanding of drought conditions and early warnings for extreme drought events. In this study, multiple satellite datasets, including Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) precipitation dataset, and the Global Land the Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) dataset, were used to conduct an innovative in-depth characteristic analysis and identification of the extreme drought event in the Poyang Lake Basin (PLB) in 2022. Furthermore, the drought characteristics were also supplemented by processing the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image data to obtain lake water area changes and integrating in situ water level data as well as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) vegetation index dataset, which provided additional instances of utilizing multi-source remote sensing satellite data for feature analysis on extreme drought events. The extreme drought event in 2022 was identified by the detection of non-seasonal negative anomalies in terrestrial water storage derived from the GRACE and GLDAS datasets. The Mann–Kendall (M-K) test results for water levels indicated a significant abrupt decrease around July 2022, passing a significance test with a 95% confidence level, which further validated the reliability of our finding. The minimum area of Poyang Lake estimated by SAR data, corresponding to 814 km2, matched well with the observed drought characteristics. Additionally, the evident lower vegetation index compared to other years also demonstrated the severity of the drought event. The utilization of these diverse datasets and their validation in this study can contribute to achieving a multi-dimensional monitoring of drought characteristics and the establishment of more robust drought models.

Satellite-Derived Indicators of Drought Severity and Water Storage in Estuarine Reservoirs: A Case Study of Qingcaosha Reservoir, China

“…In China, the drought also lowered the water level of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, to its lowest level since 1955. The minimum area of Poyang Lake estimated by satellite data was 814 km 2 , which matched well with the observed drought characteristics [60]. In the recent research focused on drought assessment within the Changjiang River Basin, satellites equipped with altimeters were used [61,62].…”

Estimating Evapotranspiration in the Qilian Mountains Using GRACE/GRACE-FO Satellite Data

“…With research progress on regional land water storage changes, more studies have shown that the terrestrial water storage in a basin will produce significant changes under the dual impact of climate change and human activities [30], which cannot be ignored in the water balance equation of a closed basin. With the available data from the GRACE/GRACE-FO gravity satellite, changes in terrestrial water storage in large-scale watersheds can be calculated efficiently and accurately [31,32].…”