Global root zone storage capacity from satellite-based evaporation

Lan Wang-Erlandsson

This dataset includes global root zone storage capacity (a.k.a., soil water storage capacity) derived from satellite-based evaporation and precipitation data. The approach used does not require soil or vegetation information, is model independent, and is in principle scale independent. The key assumption made is that vegetation optimises its root zone storage capacity to bridge critical dry periods. The data exist at 0.5 degree resolution, with a maximum coverage of 80N-56S.

References

Wang-Erlandsson, L., Bastiaanssen, W. G. M., Gao, H., Jägermeyr, J., Senay, G. B., van Dijk, A. I. J. M., Guerschman, J. P., Keys, P. W., Gordon, L. J., and Savenije, H. H. G. (2016): Global root zone storage capacity from satellite-based evaporation, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1459-1481, doi:10.5194/hess-20-1459-2016

Data description

Gridded root zone storage capacity data at 0.5 degree resolution stored in ASCII format. Readme file provided. Root zone storage capacity was derived using two data combinations: (1) CRU precipitation and SSEBop and MODIS evaporation 2003-2013 (spatial coverage: 80N-56S), and (2) CHIRPS precipitation and CMRSET, SSEBop and MODIS evaporation 2003-2012 (spatial coverage: 50N-50S). Maximum storage deficit over the time series coverage is provided along normalized root zone storage capacity data for 2, 5, 10, 20 , 30, 40, and 60 years of drought return period using the Gumbel extreme value distribution. The appropriate use of the data is described in the published paper by Wang-Erlandsson et al. (2016).