The previous 20 years have seen a number of the most excessive dry durations in U.S. historical past
For greater than 20 years the Nationwide Drought Mitigation Middle (NDMC) has been monitoring dozens of indices of drought across the nation, together with satellite tv for pc measurements of evaporation and coloration in vegetation, soil-moisture sensors, rainfall estimates, and river and streamflow ranges. Though the company’s weekly assessments have recognized durations of outstanding drought earlier than, these days dryness has been ramping up. “The altering local weather is certainly contributing to extra pure disasters, drought being one among them,” says Brian Fuchs, a climatologist who oversees the weekly report on the NDMC. “We’re seeing extra frequent and high-intensity episodes. This yr a few of these areas within the West have been in drought greater than they’ve been with out drought.”
This text was initially revealed with the title “Escalating Drought” in Scientific American 325, 5, 74 (November 2021)
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican1121-74
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