Articles tagged with Droughts
Researchers confirm that US western states' unsustainable water practices are causing long-term environmental costs, with salt usage linked to $2.5 billion in crop revenue losses and high-quality produce prices rising.
A new study suggests that parts of Peru and Bolivia will become a desert-like setting if temperatures rise more than 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above modern times. The change would be disastrous for the water supply and agricultural capacity of La Paz, affecting its two million inhabitants.
The University of Maryland is leading a $5 million NSF-funded research partnership to develop drought-tolerant canola crops. The project will analyze guard cells in the canola plant to understand how plants respond to drought and improve water use efficiency.
Research scientist Alessandra Giannini wins NSF CAREER award to advance understanding of climate model projections in the African Sahel. She aims to identify mechanisms attributed to natural variability, land use change, or global warming, using data from global models and atmospheric observations.
The study predicts that severe and prolonged droughts will affect much of the globe in the next 30 years, with dry conditions increasing substantially across Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and parts of North America. By the end of the century, densely populated regions may face extreme drought conditions.
A new study predicts widespread droughts across much of the globe within decades, with most of Western Hemisphere and Eurasia at risk. Drought conditions are expected to worsen as warming temperatures lead to reduced rainfall and increased evaporation.
A study of 36 rivers found that human activities such as droughts and floods alter the length of food chains, particularly eliminating top predators like large-bodied fish. Climate change will exacerbate these effects, making it crucial to factor in the fate of large-bodied fishes in water management.
Rivers and streams face threats from human activities and climate change, altering their natural flow patterns and disrupting food webs. This can lead to the disappearance of large-bodied fish species, making them more vulnerable to droughts and floods.
The Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) varieties, developed through a public-private partnership, show promising results with preliminary evidence of 24-35 percent higher yields. The project aims to test transgenic maize in confined field trials to evaluate their potential in drought conditions.
Researchers found that winter drought stress can delay orange flowering by 2-4 weeks, allowing for safer mechanical harvesting and reducing young fruit loss. The technique, tested on 'Valencia' sweet oranges, improves late-season harvests without negative impacts on yield or fruit quality.
A team of Wisconsin researchers has identified the protein targets in cells of a key hormone that controls how plants respond to environmental stresses such as drought. The study's findings could help underpin the development of new crop plant strains capable of thriving in hotter, dryer climates.
A new study examining the effects of drought in the Amazon found that relatively undisturbed forests are tolerant of seasonal drought. The research used remote sensing and field-based studies to demonstrate this resilience and identified potential mechanisms controlling vegetation productivity across the Amazon Basin.
The University of Nevada, Reno has successfully mapped the bottom of Fallen Leaf Lake using a state-of-the-art multi-beam sonar system, revealing details of ancient trees and earthquake activity. The technology allows for high-definition mapping with several centimeter depth resolution.
A team of divers has been mapping freshwater pools in Cara Blanca, Belize, which were important to the ancient Maya. The divers found fossilized animal remains, bits of pottery, and an enormous underwater cave in the largest pool explored.
The study reveals that a single squall line killed between 441 and 663 million trees across the Amazon basin, equivalent to 23% of annual carbon accumulation. The region near Manaus experienced up to 80% tree mortality in affected plots.
The US Department of Agriculture has released two new kidney bean germplasm lines, TARS HT-1 and TARS HT-2, that are tolerant to high temperature conditions. These germplasm lines can improve yields under hot summer conditions for farmers in regions prone to high temperature stress.
Researchers recommend using water conservatively and developing ways to harness energy from the sun, wind, and Earth to cope with projected climate changes in the West and Southwest. The region is expected to experience widespread drought, wildfires, and decreasing snowpack.
Researchers from University of Haifa found that North Atlantic Ocean temperature changes can lead to droughts in the Sahel region, and conversely, rising temperatures bring rain. The study analyzed climate parameters over the 20th century, identifying correlations between Atlantic waves and droughts in the region.
A new study found a connection between La Niña-like sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific and droughts in western Europe and the American West. The cooler Pacific Ocean led to arid conditions, contributing to the departure of the Anastazi people.
Researchers used tree-ring data to reconstruct northwest Africa's climate history, finding frequent and severe droughts during the 13th-16th centuries and late 20th century. The region's 20th-century drying trend matches climate models' predictions, while regional drought patterns differ across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
A new study of tree rings provides the most detailed record yet of at least four epic droughts that have shaken Asia over the last thousand years. The research reveals the role of climate in historical events, such as the fall of China's Ming Dynasty and the collapse of kingdoms in Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand.
A new study finds that trinexapac-ethyl reduces water depletion, evapotranspiration rates, and improves turf quality in creeping bentgrass during drought stress. The treatment maintains higher leaf relative water content and osmotic adjustment under drought conditions.
Researchers found that dehydrin proteins play a key role in helping plants like the resurrection fern survive up to 95% water loss, allowing water to act as a lubricant between cell walls. This discovery could lead to developing drought-resistant crops by localizing and transferring the dehydrin gene.
A study suggests that severe droughts and heavy monsoon rains may have weakened Angkor's economy and led to its downfall. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found evidence of a mega-drought lasting three decades, which could have exacerbated crop failure and infectious disease.
Researchers found that La Vanguardia newspaper devoted more headlines to forest fires and droughts than floods, despite floods being more frequent and damaging. The study created a database of natural hazards allowing users to search for meteorological phenomena.
Researchers found that a mix of purchasing options can significantly lower costs and increase available water, while avoiding supply failures during droughts. This hybrid approach combines the benefits of buying diverse stocks with water risk management.
Researchers will apply basic science discoveries from the LOX gene family to improve corn breeding for drought tolerance and aflatoxin resistance. The four-year project will help reduce losses caused by mycotoxins in Texas, estimated at $13 million in 2008.
Climate researchers have found that the Indian Ocean Dipole is occurring more frequently due to global warming, leading to extreme weather patterns. Meanwhile, a study in North America reveals that natural cooling factors contributed to an unusually cold year in 2008, contradicting claims of a prolonged cooling trend.
Satellite-based findings reveal nearly enough water lost in California's Central Valley to fill Lake Mead, primarily due to increased irrigation. The region's groundwater storage is declining, with significant losses detected in the San Joaquin basin.
A new study by U of T researchers reveals that forest trees use different drought response gene programs at different times of the day, not just in the middle of the day as previously thought. This critical finding has implications for conserving and breeding drought-resistant trees.
A team of scientists, led by UCR professor Sean Cutler, has made significant discoveries on how plants survive drought using the stress hormone abscisic acid. Recent studies have built upon Cutler's initial findings, shedding light on the signaling pathway that enables plants to adapt to water scarcity.
Scientists discovered how plant hormone ABA interacts with protein PYR1 to trigger drought response. This interaction enables PP2C molecules to be hijacked, allowing plants to increase water uptake and storage while decreasing water loss. The study offers new approaches for increasing crop tolerance to water shortages.
Scientists will study switchgrass varieties under drought conditions to improve forecasts on productivity and identify genetic mechanisms of drought tolerance. The research aims to develop models predicting how climate change affects switchgrass production in North America.
Researchers at Scripps Research and UC San Diego have solved the structure of a critical molecule that helps plants survive during droughts. The study provides important clues about how hormones regulate crucial physiological responses in humans, potentially improving crop yields worldwide.
A new study finds that a 2005-2007 drought in the southeastern United States was not exceptional but rather part of a normal dry period, while population growth and poor planning are major contributors to water scarcity. The region's future droughts are uncertain and could strike at any time due to unpredictable weather patterns.
A three-year, $2.4 million grant will develop a systems biology approach to combat the effects of drought on staple food crops like maize, wheat, and rice. The project aims to identify key regulatory genes and signaling pathways that can improve drought resistance.
A new study found that climate change could exacerbate poverty in developing countries, with urban workers facing the greatest vulnerability. The study used data from 16 countries to analyze the impact of extreme weather events on food prices and agricultural productivity.
University of Calgary scientists discovered that stressed crops emit more methane, a potent greenhouse gas 23 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Climate change factors such as temperature, drought, and UV-B radiation enhance methane emissions from six Canadian crops.
Researchers at MU College of Agriculture are constructing drought simulators to study how plants respond to various drought conditions. The project aims to develop more tolerant crop plants and improve water efficiency in agriculture.
A new study by researchers at the University of Georgia suggests that drought conditions in an area's fall and winter may lead to a statistically significant reduction in tornado activity during the following spring. In contrast, wet autumns and winters were found to have nearly twice as many spring tornado days as drought years did.
A new publication highlights the potential of index insurance to help manage climate risks and reduce poverty in poor areas of the world. Index insurance uses a weather index to determine payouts, allowing policy holders to access bank loans and other types of credit previously unavailable to them.
By leveraging the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS sensor on NASA's Aqua satellite, researchers can estimate soil moisture levels with improved accuracy, leading to more precise crop forecasts. This innovation addresses the pressing issue of global food scarcity and its impact on millions of poor people.
Recent studies analyze global warming trends, exploring decadal cooling periods and long-term climate change. Scientists also investigate recent solar radiation changes, finding complex mechanisms behind 'global dimming' and 'brightening.' Analysis of the Dust Bowl's atmospheric circulation reveals potential links to Midwest droughts.
A team of scientists from Canada, Spain and the US identified a key gene that allows plants to defend against environmental stresses like drought, freezing and heat. They discovered a receptor that activates abscisic acid (ABA), a hormone helping plants survive drought.
A new study reveals that droughts in West Africa can last for decades, with some droughts lasting up to four times longer than the current Sahel drought. The research suggests that changes in Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperatures play a key role in sustaining these long periods of drought.
Researchers have developed an almost year-by-year record of the last 3,000 years of West Africa's climate, revealing that catastrophic droughts occurred every 30 to 65 years. The new research suggests that global warming may exacerbate the normal climate pattern, producing even more severe and prolonged droughts.
Scientists found that temperatures alone can kill drought-stressed piñon pine trees 28% faster, leading to 5 times more frequent die-offs. Carbon starvation is the primary mechanism behind tree mortality, and understanding this relationship is key to predicting future patterns.
Researchers found that intermittent rain in days before the tornado moistened some areas enough to create favorable conditions for severe storms. Urban landscape gave storms extra energy needed to spin up a tornado. Heat island effect amplified storm intensity.
A 30-year study reveals that drought causes massive carbon loss in tropical forests, mainly through killing trees, posing significant threat to climate change mitigation. The Amazon forest absorbs nearly 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually but lost more than 3 billion tonnes during the 2005 drought.
The Amazon Rainforest's drought sensitivity is a growing concern due to climate change, threatening both nature and people. The study reveals that increasing drought can cause irreparable damage to the jungle and its carbon-sequestration abilities.
A recent study led by the U.S. Geological Survey found that tree death rates have more than doubled over the last few decades in old-growth forests of the western United States. The increase is widespread, affecting various forest types, elevations, and tree species.
A new report by Oregon State University finds that warmer climate and drought stress are causing a rapid increase in tree mortality across the West, with the Pacific Northwest hardest hit. This could lead to significant shifts in forest structure and function, including a 50% reduction in average tree age and size.
A new study has found that tree deaths in the West's old-growth forests have more than doubled in recent decades due to regional warming and related drought conditions. The research team measured tree deaths in all sizes at varying elevations, including tree types such as pine, fir, and hemlock.
A new US government report suggests that abrupt climate changes could occur within decades, with rapid sea level rise and severe droughts predicted. The report synthesizes the latest evidence on four specific threats for the 21st century, including melting of polar ice sheets and acceleration of seaward flow.
New report reveals rapid changes at Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, exceeding previous projections for sea level rise. Subtropical areas like the American West are likely to become more arid due to global warming, increasing the likelihood of severe droughts.
Scientists have identified a group of genes in rice that enable a yield of up to 100% more in severe drought conditions. This breakthrough has the potential to bring relief to farmers in countries like India and Thailand, where rice crops are regularly affected by drought.
A new technique allows for a quantitative and precise determination of plant viability during drought stress using chlorophyll fluorescence. This method is non-invasive, easy to measure, and minimizes technical expertise, making it a valuable complement to existing methods.
A recent study found that groundwater storage plays a crucial role in regulating watershed response and climate feedbacks. The depth of the water table is closely tied to land surface conditions, with shallow tables amplifying temperature increases and deep tables directly influencing precipitation patterns.
Researchers used NMR spectroscopy to analyze pea plant leaves under drought stress, revealing key metabolites that increase in response. The findings could lead to the development of pea varieties more resistant to water scarcity, affecting global food production.
A UC Riverside botanist is investigating how Southern California's plants affect the region's drought. The research aims to identify plant species most susceptible to drought and predict water evaporation from desert chaparral ecosystems.