Like heat waves, these periods of high atmospheric demand for water can damage crops and ecosystems and increase pressure on water resources. New research shows they’re becoming more severe.
drought
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Investigating Rainfall-Rich Periods in North America
A record of soil moisture that extends over one thousand years allows for the investigation of occurrence and causes of modern and historical rainfall-rich periods.
Posted inNews
Seismometers Provide Fuller Picture of Los Angeles Groundwater
A new method to evaluate deep aquifers shows even torrential rains haven’t fully replenished groundwater beneath Los Angeles.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Warming Climate Is Shifting Eurasian Drought Conditions
Researchers use tree ring records to help reconstruct hydroclimate patterns and isolate drivers of drought.
Posted inNews
Megadroughts Have Grown in Size and Scope
A new study maps and ranks the largest, longest-lasting, and most severe multiyear droughts from 1980 to 2018.
Posted inNews
California Storms Recharged Watersheds, Geodesy Data Reveal
The atmospheric rivers that soaked the state in early 2023 released enough water to warp the ground and douse a deep drought.
Posted inNews
Torrents of Sediment-Laden Water Worsened Disastrous Libyan Floods
Drought followed by torrential rain can unleash deadly floods in arid regions, like those that affected Libya in 2023.
Posted inNews
Some Urban Trees Suffer Under Climate Stress
Heat and drought hit trees in Boston and New York City harder than those in their rural counterparts.
Posted inNews
Fiber-Optic Cables Used to Measure Changing Soil Moisture
Scientists are using seismic techniques to measure soil moisture. Their results show that recent droughts in California depleted water in the shallow subsurface.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Amazonian Drought May Have Long-Lasting Effects on Carbon Cycle
Dry conditions stemming from the 2015–2016 El Niño caused significant carbon loss.