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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #422286
Research Project: Impacts of Variable Land Management and Climate on Water and Soil Resources

Location: Agroclimate and Hydraulics Research Unit

Title: Land use land cover change, irrigation and their impacts on bi-hourly evolution of select diagnostic variables related to convective environments during GRAINEX

Author
item WHITESEL, DANIEL - University Of Nebraska
item MAHMOOD, REZAUL - University Of Nebraska
item Flanagan, Paul
item PHILLIPS, CHRISTOPHER - University Of Alabama
item PIELKE SR, ROGER - University Of Colorado
item NAIR, UDAYSANKAR - University Of Alabama
item RAPPIN, ERIC - Western Kentucky University

Submitted to: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/24/2025
Publication Date: 11/1/2025
Citation: Whitesel, D., Mahmood, R., Flanagan, P.X., Phillips, C., Pielke Sr, R., Nair, U., Rappin, E. 2025. Land use land cover change, irrigation and their impacts on bi-hourly evolution of select diagnostic variables related to convective environments during GRAINEX. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies. 62(2025): Article 102884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102884.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102884

Interpretive Summary: Irrigation, or the addition of water to crops as needed during the growing season, impacts local and regional climate in significant ways. Usually, these impacts are related to the addition of moisture to the lower-level atmosphere from the evaporation of the additional surface water into the air. However, due to a lack of data, an investigation into the role of irrigation in the hourly changes in the lower atmosphere has not been completed. Using hourly data collected during a previous field study, this study investigates the role of irrigation on the development of the lower atmosphere throughout the day. Results show that the additional water contributed by irrigation impacted the development of the lower atmosphere, making the areas under irrigation more prone to storm development in the morning and evening, while the areas without irrigation were more likely to have storm development in the afternoon. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Technical Abstract: The changes associated with irrigated agriculture are significant to the local and regional weather and climate. This study analyzes bi-hourly rawinsonde data [total ~1200 launches, over two 15-day periods (total 30 days)] collected during The Great Plains Irrigation Experiment (GRAINEX) by using select diagnostic variables. Diagnostic variables such as CAPE, CIN, LI, dewpoint depression (DD850mb) , precipitable water (PWAT), and lapse rates were analyzed from 0500 LST to 1900 LST. It was found that over irrigated land use observations recorded higher CAPE and lower CIN compared to non-irrigated land use along with lower dewpoint depressions. Irrigated land use also observed higher PWAT during morning and clear days, while non-irrigated land use had higher PWAT during the afternoon hours and non-clear days. A similar pattern can be seen for lapse rates for surface to 3 kilometers, with observations over irrigated land use reported higher lapse rates during the morning and the evening hours and non-irrigated agriculture observing higher lapse rates during the afternoon hours. We suggest that these factors, influenced by irrigated land use, contributed to a favorable convective environment during the morning and evening hours while non-irrigated land use provided a favorable convective environment during the afternoon hours. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.