Standardized Precipitation Index and Its Use in the Western Contiguous UnitedStates

摘要

Droughts have been a concern to all sectors of the economy since the beginning ofmankind. The importance of understanding, monitoring, and forecasting these dry events is of paramount concern to the world considering the population increases seen over the last few decades. There is a finite supply of water available to the world in relatively inexpensive forms needed for drinking and to support food productions.