Zhou et al. (2026) Development of drought index and quantitative assessment of spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the Loess Plateau using multi-source remote sensing

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Identification

• Journal: Environmental Earth Sciences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-28
• Authors: Jing Zhou, Wanyun Huang, Kelin Wang, Pingda Lu, Mengyun Liu, Xiaoping Wang
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-026-13145-3

Research Groups

• Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Key Laboratory of Arid and Semi-Arid Hydrology, Ministry of Water Resources

Short Summary

This study developed a comprehensive drought index (CDI) to monitor drought conditions across the Loess Plateau by integrating remote sensing indices with in situ soil moisture measurements. The results show that CDI effectively reflects regional soil drought conditions and exhibits a significant negative correlation with in situ soil moisture measurements.

Objective

• Investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of drought across the Loess Plateau during 2001–2022 using a comprehensive drought index (CDI) that integrates remote sensing indices with in situ soil moisture measurements.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: The study focused on the Loess Plateau, which is located in northwestern China.
• Temporal Scale: The study analyzed data from 2001 to 2022.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Theil-Sen Median trend analysis, Mann-Kendall test, and Hurst index analysis were employed to quantify the spatiotemporal dynamics of drought.
• Data sources: Satellite remote sensing data (e.g., NDVI, SMMI) and in situ soil moisture measurements.

Main Results

• CDI effectively reflected regional soil drought conditions, with a significant negative correlation with in situ soil moisture measurements (R2 = 0.71).
• The Loess Plateau experienced moderate drought, with a slow declining trend in dryness.
• Spatially, drought conditions migrated seasonally; severe drought occurred predominantly in spring and summer, whereas moderate drought prevailed in autumn and winter.

Contributions

This study advances drought monitoring methodology by developing a comprehensive drought index (CDI) that integrates remote sensing indices with in situ soil moisture measurements. The results provide valuable insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of drought across the Loess Plateau, which can be used to support drought monitoring and early warning systems.

Funding

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51879219)
• Ministry of Water Resources' Special Fund for Scientific Research on Public Causes (Grant No. 201801002)

Citation

@article{Zhou2026Development,
  author = {Zhou, Jing and Huang, Wanyun and Wang, Kelin and Lu, Pingda and Liu, Mengyun and Wang, Xiaoping},
  title = {Development of drought index and quantitative assessment of spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the Loess Plateau using multi-source remote sensing},
  journal = {Environmental Earth Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/s12665-026-13145-3},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-026-13145-3}
}