US Southwest To Suffer From 'Mega-Drought' By The End Of The Century?

The scientists from Cornell University found that the American Southwest could experience a decades-long "megadrought" by the end of this century. The Southwest part of America includes Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nevada.

The findings of the study were published in Science Advances journal. A mega drought is described as an extreme, bone-dry time that can last for more than 35 years. It is often referred to the length of a drought and not the severity of the drought. In the previous megadroughts, they are associated with unrelenting multiyear La Niña conditions.

Toby Ault, the lead author of the study and the atmospheric researcher explained that the risk of a mega drought depends critically on the balance of soil moisture at the soil's surface. He further explained that it's tug-of-war between evaporation from hotter weather and the supply of moisture through precipitation, as noted by Popular Mechanics.

He continued that these megadroughts have happened here before, and they can happen again. He advised fighting the climate change now so that its risk could be cut in roughly half.

RT reports greenhouse gasses could be the cause of the megadrought and there would be 70 to 99 percent high chances of experiencing the phenomenon by 2100. It would spread from San Francisco Boulder, Colorado and until the Gulf of California, according to the scientists.

In the study, the researchers analyzed the tree rings and various other geological records. They estimated that the most recent megadrought happened at the end of the 16th century. They examined the risks and this goes up with a 30 percent increase in precipitation from today's number.

Ault stated that it was particularly eye-opening. He further stated that increases in average regional temperatures could be more than 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and that evaporation will win out. This makes the risk of megadrought increases to 99 percent. The researchers recommend to lessen the production of greenhouse gasses and be serious about the outcome of the climate change.