Copernicus Drought Observatory (CDI)

Copernicus Drought Observatory generates raster maps for monitoring agricultural drought in Europe through the Combined Drought Indicator (CDI), which integrates precipitation, soil moisture, and radiation anomalies to assess drought propagation stages and spatial extent.

Key Features:

• Combined Drought Indicator (CDI): Integrates the Standardized Precipitation Index, the Soil Moisture Anomaly, and the Fraction of the Photosynthetically Active Radiation anomaly, complemented by crop and snow masks.
• Spatial and Temporal Resolution: Produces raster maps at 1/24 decimal degrees (~5 km) spatial resolution with 10-day temporal resolution from 2012 onward.
• Drought Stage Assessment: Enables evaluation of different stages of agricultural drought propagation and their spatial extent across Europe.

Scientific Applications:

• Agricultural Drought Monitoring: Supports assessment of drought conditions for drought preparedness and planning to mitigate drought impacts.
• Water Resource and Land Management: Provides relevant information for water resource agencies, farmers, land managers, and other actors involved in drought response planning.

Methodology:

The CDI computationally combines the Standardized Precipitation Index, the Soil Moisture Anomaly, and the Fraction of the Photosynthetically Active Radiation anomaly, with crop and snow masks applied.