The western half of the United States is currently experiencing a long-running megadrought that is putting a significant strain on water resources across the region, and experts say that another decade or two of dryness could have “catastrophic effects” on the country.
The latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that 65 percent of the continental U.S. is experiencing some form of drought or abnormally dry conditions. Some of the hardest-hit states include Utah, Oregon, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma, which all contain regions that are undergoing “extreme drought” conditions.
“This region is experiencing an exceptional drought condition, with a severity that we have not seen in the past 1,200 years,” Rick Relyea, director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, told Newsweek.
Natural climate variability is a significant factor driving the current megadrought, although experts say anthropogenic global warming is playing a major role in the dry conditions many parts of the western United States are currently experiencing.
One study published in the journal Nature Climate Change suggested human-caused climate change was responsible for more than 40 percent of the soil dryness over the 2000-2021 period, likely tipping what would have been a moderate drought into megadrought territory.
“With continued climate change, we expect to see rain and snow events that are less frequent, but more intense,” he said. “Such events can cause flash flooding, which makes it difficult for the water to slowly permeate into the soil to recharge the underground aquifers.”
In the Nature Climate Change paper, models indicate there is a strong chance the megadrought will continue through 2030.
https://www.newsweek.com/megadrought-impact-united-states-catastrophic-1775438?user_email_address=52baecb6fcc0c0d02e1c615a84f3d29f