Changes in agricultural-water climate extremes in Ogallala Aquifer region

Authors: LIN, XIAOMAO - Kansas State University; Gowda, Prasanna; HARRINGTON, JOHN - Kansas State University; CIAMPITTI, IGNACIO - Kansas State University; AIKEN, ROBERT - Kansas State University; BAILEY, RYAN - Colorado State University; KISEKKA, ISAYA - Kansas State University; Brown, David

Submitted to: Miscellaneous Publishing Information Bulletin
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2017
Publication Date: 6/13/2017
Citation: Lin, X., Gowda, P., Harrington, J., Ciampitti, I., Aiken, R., Bailey, R., Kisekka, I., Brown, D.P. 2017. Changes in agricultural-water climate extremes in Ogallala Aquifer region [abstract]. 2017 UCOWR/NIWR Conference - Water in a changing environment, June 13-15, 2017, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Available: http://ucowr.org/files/2017_Conference/program/2017_UCOWR_Conf_Prelim_Program_051717.pdf.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only.

Technical Abstract: Climate extremes have major impact on agricultural water management especially in arid and semiarid regions such as Ogallala Aquifer region where rainfall is supplemented by irrigation for sustainable crop production. Expected changes in the pattern, frequency and intensity in the near future requires a better understanding of their impact on agricultural water management. In this study, we used long-term historical daily climate data over 1961 to 2015 across the Ogallala Aquifer region for addressing changes in extremes that focus on relative thresholds that describe the tails of distributions in precipitation events. The analysis was conducted using non-parametric statistical tests on monthly and crop growing season scales. The results indicated that most of agricultural-water climate extremes showed a significant increase, however, rates of increase were varied significantly across the Ogallala Aquifer region.