The second area where I have focused my research is on understanding the nature and predictability of droughts.  This research involves both observational and modeling studies that attempt to quantify the role that the land surface conditions (e.g. soil moisture and snow cover) play in the formation and persistence of drought events.  In addition, I am also examining the relationship between oceanic and atmospheric teleconnections and the occurrence of drought.  This research is important because it lays the foundation for developing seasonal drought forecasts by providing a better understanding of the causal mechanisms responsible for drought initiation. 

As a Masters student I used Palmer's Z-index to characterize the frequency, severity, and spatial extent of June–July moisture anomalies across the northern Great Plains/Canadian prairies during 1920–1999 (International Journal of Climatology 2005).  Through this work I was able to identify the main modes of spatial and temporal variability in moisture conditions and to elucidate on the physical mechanisms responsible for causing these moisture anomalies to occur.  I have also compared the nature and causes of the recent drought in the southwestern United States with the infamous 1950s drought (Climate Research 2008).  Dr. Goodrich and I found that that there are similarities between these two droughts in terms of their extent, severity, duration, and underlying causes.  Specifically, both drought events are associated with the positive phase of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and the negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. 

More recently I have been examining the role that the land surface plays in the formation and persistence of drought events.  Daria Kluver (PhD student, University of Delaware) and I are using snowfall data to examine the relationship between winter/spring snowfall and summer moisture anomalies in the northern Great Plains of North America (Journal of Hydrometeorology submitted).  We found that below (above) normal snowfall in winter/spring is generally associated with anomalously dry (wet) summers in the northern Great Plains and that snowfall anomalies during the late spring (April-May) are more important for determining summer moisture conditions than snowfall anomalies in fall (SON) or winter (DJF).  However, the strength of the relationship between winter/spring snowfall and summer moisture varies significantly over space and time. 

Anna Nordfelt (MS student) and I investigated the relationship between antecedent snow cover and soil moisture conditions and the strength of the North American Monsoon (International Journal of Climatology, in preparation).  Our findings suggest that both snow cover and soil moisture influence the intensity, date of onset, and duration of the North American Monsoon.  Specifically, positive (negative) spring snow cover anomalies are associated with a weakening (strengthening) of the North American monsoon and cause the monsoon to occur later (earlier). 

My research on land-atmosphere interactions is being furthered through the doctoral work of Lei Meng.  He is using NCAR’s Community Atmospheric Model to elucidate on the role that soil moisture plays in creating and sustaining droughts in the U.S. Great Plains and to determine the factors responsible for the temporal variations in the strength of land-atmosphere coupling.  In spring I will be submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation (jointly to Geography and Regional Science/Atmospheric Sciences) looking at how spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture influence land-atmosphere interactions and precipitation in the U.S. Great Plains.

• Quring, S. M. and G. B. Goodrich (2008) Nature and causes of the 2002 to 2004 drought in the southwestern United States compared with the historic 1953 to 1957 drought. Climate Research, 36: 41-52.

• "Soil moisture and land-atmosphere coupling" presented at Atmospheric Sciences Seminar Series
  

• "Characteristics and causes of drought in the Southwestern United States" presented at Bi-National Water Seminar Series

• Quiring, S. M. and D. B. Kluver (2006) Influence of snowfall anomalies on summer precipitation in the Northern Great Plains of North America.  Contributed poster presented at the Eastern Snow Conference, Newark, DE, June 2006.

• Quiring, S. M. (2006) Characterizing and understanding the causes of drought in the Northern Great Plains.  Contributed paper presented at the First Annual Drought Research Initiative Workshop, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, January 2006.

• Quiring, S. M. and D. B. Kluver (2005) Relationship between winter snowfall and summer droughts in the Northern Great Plains of North America.  Contributed poster presented at the at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA, December 2005.

• Quiring, S. M. and T. N. Papakyriakou (2005) Characterizing the Spatial and Temporal Patterns of June–July Moisture Conditions in the Canadian Prairies.  International Journal of Climatology, 25, 117-138.

• Quiring, S. M. (2004) Developing a real-time Agricultural Drought Monitoring System for Delaware using a geospatial framework.  Contributed poster presented at the Delaware GIS 2004 Conference, Dover, DE, April 2004.

• Quiring, S. M. and T. N. Papakryiakou (2003) Characterizing the spatial and temporal patterns of growing season agricultural drought in the Canadian prairies.  Contributed paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Geophysical Union, Banff, AB, May 2003.

• Quiring, S. M. (2003) An investigation of the causes of the 2002 Mid-Atlantic drought.  Contributed poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, New Orleans, LA, March 2003.

• Quiring, S.M. (2001) The detection and prediction of agricultural drought in the Canadian prairies.  Masters Thesis. Department of Geography, University of Manitoba.

• A Teleconnection Primer

• Quiring, S.M., and D. Blair (2001) Recent Developments in Teleconnections and their Applications in Long-Range Forecasting.  In: Proceedings of the Long-Range Weather and Crop Forecasting Work Group Meeting IV, Regina, March 2001

• Quiring, S.M., and D. Blair (2000) The utility of global teleconnections for long-range crop forecasting in the Canadian prairies.  In: Prairie Perspectives: Geographical Essays,(Ed. Romanowski, J.), v. 3, 23-61. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba.