MONITORING THE 2005 HISTRICAL DROUGHT IN THE NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL USING THE COUPLED LAND AND VEGETATION DATA ASSIMILATION SYSTEM (CLVDAS)

Abstract

 The Brazilian northeast semiarid region is vulnerable to severe droughts. Climate change scenarios indicate that the region will be affected by rainfall deficits and increased aridity in the second half of 21st century. In this study, the potential of drought assessment in the northeastern Brazil was investigated using the Coupled Land and Vegetation Data Assimilation System (CLVDAS). In consequence, we identified the 2005 historical agricultural drought, which is the conformability between the decreased major crop production (sugar cane, cassava, and corn) and CLVDAS’s LAI, output by eco-hydrological water cycle process, in the northeastern Brazil.