Evaporative Stress Index (ESI)

Description: The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) is produced by the NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) and USDA-ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory. The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) is a thermal indicator of anomalous ET conditions that can be used for drought monitoring. The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) describes temporal anomalies in evapotranspiration (ET), highlighting areas with anomalously high or low rates of water use across the land surface. Here, ET is retrieved via energy balance using remotely sensed land-surface temperature (LST) time-change signals. LST is a fast- response variable, providing proxy information regarding rapidly evolving surface soil moisture and crop stress conditions at relatively high spatial resolution. The ESI also demonstrates capability for capturing early signals of “flash drought”, brought on by extended periods of hot, dry and windy conditions leading to rapid soil moisture depletion.

Organization: NOAA STAR and USDA ARS HRSL

Spatial resolution: 4-km (1/24-deg)

Time Span: 2001-01-02 to Present (updated every month)

Variables:

  • Evaporative Stress Index (4-week and 12-week time scales)

Website: ESI Website

Google Earth Engine: 

Terms of Use:

  • This dataset is open and there are no restrictions on its use.

References:

  • Anderson, M. C., J. M. Norman, G. R. Diak, W. P. Kustas, and J. R. Mecikalski, 1997: A two-source time-integrated model for estimating surface fluxes using thermal infrared remote sensing. Remote Sens. Environ., 60, 195-216.
  • Anderson, M. C., J. M. Norman, J. R. Mecikalski, J. P. Otkin, and W. P. Kustas, 2007a: A climatological study of evapotranspiration and moisture stress across the continental U.S. based on thermal remote sensing: I. Model formulation. J. Geophys. Res., 112, D10117, doi:10110.11029/12006JD007506.
  • Anderson, M. C., J. M. Norman, J. R. Mecikalski, J. P. Otkin, and W. P. Kustas, 2007b: A climatological study of evapotranspiration and moisture stress across the continental U.S. based on thermal remote sensing: II. Surface moisture climatology. J. Geophys. Res., 112, D11112, doi:11110.11029/12006JD007507.
  • Anderson, M. C., C. R. Hain, B. Wardlow, J. R. Mecikalski, and W. P. Kustas (2011), Evaluation of a drought index based on thermal remote sensing of evapotranspiration over the continental U.S., J. Climate, 24, 2025-2044.
  • McKee, T. B., N. J. Doesken, and J. Kleist, 1993: The relationship of drought frequency and duration to time scales. AMS Eighth conf. on Applied Climatology, Anaheim, CA, 179-184.
  • McKee, T. B., N. J. Doesken, and J. Kleist, 1995: Drought monitoring with multiple time scales. AMS Ninth conf. on Applied Climatology, Dallas, TX, 233-236.
  • Norman, J. M., W. P. Kustas, and K. S. Humes, 1995: A two-source approach for estimating soil and vegetation energy fluxes from observations of directional radiometric surface temperature. Agric. For. Met., 77, 263-293.
  • Svoboda, M., and Coauthors, 2002: The Drought Monitor. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 83, 1181-1190.

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