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Abstract Modification of grasslands into irrigated and nonirrigated agriculture in the Great Plains resulted in significant impacts on weather and climate. However, there has been lack of observational data–based studies solely focused on impacts of irrigation on the PBL and convective conditions. The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX), conducted during the 2018 growing season, collected data over irrigated and nonirrigated land uses over Nebraska to understand these impacts. Specifically, the objective was to determine whether the impacts of irrigation are sustained throughout the growing season. The data analyzed include latent and sensible heat flux, air temperature, dewpoint temperature, equivalent temperature (moist enthalpy), PBL height, lifting condensation level (LCL), level of free convection (LFC), and PBL mixing ratio. Results show increased partitioning of energy into latent heat relative to sensible heat over irrigated areas while average maximum air temperature was decreased and dewpoint temperature was increased from the early to peak growing season. Radiosonde data suggest reduced planetary boundary layer (PBL) heights at all launch sites from the early to peak growing season. However, reduction of PBL height was much greater over irrigated areas than over nonirrigated croplands. Relative to the early growing period, LCL and LFC heights were also lower during the peak growing period over irrigated areas. Results note, for the first time, that the impacts of irrigation on PBL evolution and convective environment can be sustained throughout the growing season and regardless of background atmospheric conditions. These are important findings and applicable to other irrigated areas in the world. Significance StatementTo meet the ever-increasing demand for food, many regions of the world have adopted widespread irrigation. The High Plains Aquifer (HPA) region, located within the Great Plains of the United States, is one of the most extensively irrigated regions. In this study, for the first time, we have conducted a detailed irrigation-focused land surface and atmospheric data collection campaign to determine irrigation impacts on the atmosphere. This research demonstrates that irrigation significantly alters lower atmospheric characteristics and creates favorable cloud and convection development conditions during the growing season. The results clearly show first-order impacts of irrigation on regional weather and climate and hence warrant further attention so that we can minimize negative impacts and achieve sustainable irrigation.
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Rain-fed to irrigation-fed transition of agriculture exacerbates meteorological drought in cropped regions but moderates elsewhere
Abstract In recent decades, irrigated agriculture has expanded dramatically over the Southeastern United States (SEUS). The trend is more likely to continue in future given the need to further improve crop productivity and its resilience against droughts, however, the impact of these SEUS land cover changes remains unknown. This study investigates how and to what extent rain-fed to irrigation-fed (RFtoIF) transition in the SEUS region modulates precipitation spatially and temporally under a severe drought meteorological condition. In this study, we perform three Weather Research Forecasting model simulations with varying degrees of irrigated crop areas with meteorological boundary conditions of a record-breaking 2007 drought in the SEUS region. Results show that the SEUS irrigation expansion reduces both the convective triggering potential and low-level humidity index through land-atmospheric interaction. This is accompanied by reduction in the height of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL)-lifting condensation level crossing and increase in the convective available potential energy. These modulations within the ABL provide a favorable condition for strong deep convection during the drought period. However, the impact on precipitation is heterogeneous, with crop areas undergoing RFtoIF transition experiencing an overall reduction in precipitation while other landcovers experiencing an increase. The reduction in precipitation over RFtoIF transitioned croplands is in part due to moisture redistribution aided by generation of an anomalous high-pressure system. The results highlight the complexity of response of precipitation to irrigation expansion in the SEUS, and underscore the need to perform spatially-explicit analysis for mitigating risks to water resources and food security.
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- PAR ID:
- 10425591
- Publisher / Repository:
- IOP Publishing
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Research Letters
- Volume:
- 18
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 1748-9326
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- Article No. 074024
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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