Articles tagged with Droughts
A new study reveals that global warming is accelerating the risk of multi-year droughts leading to extreme water scarcity. The frequency of Day Zero Droughts will increase sharply over the coming decades, affecting 750 million people globally by the end of this century.
A new study found that proactive forest management can significantly reduce the risk of high-severity wildfires by 88% and stabilize carbon stocks. The research analyzed over 200 fuel reduction projects in California's Central Sierra and found that treated forests stored carbon more durably, even after extreme droughts.
Researchers found that deforestation is responsible for a significant reduction in rainfall and increase in temperature in the Amazon during the dry season. The study quantifies the impact of forest loss and global climate change on the biome, highlighting the importance of preserving standing forests to maintain climate resilience.
A new study reveals that drought and ozone pollution significantly reduce soybean yield, regardless of drought stress levels. Researchers found that elevated ozone concentrations disrupt photosynthesis and hormone signaling in plants, leading to reduced yield and seed development.
Research led by the University of Utah found that industrial private land has nearly one-and-a-half times higher odds of high-severity wildfire compared to publicly owned forests. Reducing tree density can mitigate megafire risk even in extreme weather conditions.
A cross-sectional study of 42 countries found that drought conditions are associated with increased intimate partner violence risk. The study suggests a pressing need for initiatives to prevent domestic violence in response to climate change.
A study using stalagmite analysis found eight wet season droughts lasting over three years between 871-1021 CE, contributing to the Maya civilization's decline. This climate data aligns with historical and archaeological evidence, providing a new framework for analyzing human-climate interactions.
A new data-driven model predicts repeating drought and rain cycles in the central Mediterranean, supporting long-term water planning. The study offers a simpler alternative to conventional Global Circulation Models for understanding climate-related phenomena.
Researchers analyzed 20,000 tree-ring records to find that tropical trees grow 2.5% less during droughts, but recover almost completely the following year. Drier regions show greater reductions in growth and increased tree mortality.
The Amazon has experienced a 163% increase in degradation and a 54% decrease in deforestation between 2022 and 2024. This 'negative balance' of biome protection threatens Brazil's international climate commitments, particularly its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59-67% by 2035.
A new study found that a wildfire and drought led to an increase in jaguar population density in the Brazilian wetlands. The site, which is home to a unique population of jaguars with aquatic diets, may serve as a climate refuge, buffering extreme climate events.
A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin finds that climate change may be disrupting the natural Pacific Decadal Oscillation cycle, which brings needed rain to the region. This could lead to prolonged droughts in the southwest U.S., affecting water resources like the Colorado River.
A new tool helps understand original landscape functioning and supports current land use strategies by generating realistic drone footage of past landscapes. The study uses AI to create photorealistic depictions of the Great Hungarian Plain before water regulations.
A new study finds that climate change and aerosols have led to lower precipitation in the Southwest, making drought inevitable. The research predicts continued drought conditions as the planet warms.
New research reveals that lakes relying on groundwater connections maintain stable water levels and buffer climate change impacts. Shallow lakes are vulnerable to rising temperatures and reduced rainfall due to high evaporation rates.
A comprehensive report cataloging the most widespread and damaging drought events since 2023 reveals food, water, energy crises and human tragedies. The 'Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025' report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of drought's impacts on lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems.
A multi-country study found that extreme droughts in Low Income Countries (LMICs) are associated with an increase in sexual violence against adolescent girls and young women. The study highlights the indirect impact of climate change on social vulnerabilities in these regions.
A new review paper explores six approaches to conserving water nationwide, including growing crops suited to local climates, using treated wastewater, and reducing food waste. The authors emphasize the need for a multi-faceted approach due to the inherent complications of each strategy.
A study found that droughts can decrease nectar calories in zucchini flowers by up to 95%, harming pollinators and plants. Increased rainfall can positively affect nectar calorie production, but heavy rainfall events can have devastating consequences for ecosystems.
Researchers at Uppsala University predict that concurrent extreme events will become more frequent due to climate change, posing new challenges for preparedness. The study examines six types of events and finds a sharp increase in combinations of heatwaves and forest fires, as well as heatwaves and droughts, in various regions worldwide.
Researchers at Colorado State University have demonstrated the reversal of embolism in a type of wild grass, which can recover from extended drought within 24 hours. This finding has significant implications for improving agricultural productivity and food security, as it could potentially be bred into crops to make them more resilient...
A new study finds that increasing atmospheric evaporative demand is making droughts 40% more severe globally over the past 40 years. As the atmosphere warms, air can hold more moisture, leading to increased water demand and pulling more water from soils, rivers, and plants.
A new study from Goethe University confirms that climate change and extreme weather events are devastating amphibian diversity. Analysis of global weather data reveals a direct connection between increased heat waves, droughts, and declining salamander populations.
A new study from Colorado State University reveals that photovoltaic (PV) arrays in grasslands can improve soil moisture levels and increase plant growth, particularly during dry years. The research found a 90% increase in grass production on the east side of panels compared to neighboring open sites.
Researchers at UCSF have successfully engineered a shapeshifting protein that can change shape in response to signals, potentially leading to breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture, and environmental applications. This achievement marks the first step towards creating stable yet dynamic proteins using AI-augmented protein engineering.
A new international study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution found that fertilizer can help plants survive short-term periods of extreme drought. The researchers added nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to 26 sites across 9 countries and found a 24% increase in plant growth with fertilizer addition.
A long-term shift towards drier conditions is reshaping landscapes and livelihoods globally, affecting 40% of Earth's land and 2.3 billion people. The research highlights solutions to adapt to a future where water is no longer guaranteed, including smarter irrigation strategies, data analytics, and restoring degraded land.
A study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth reveals that droughts and associated water loss are the primary cause of South Africa's land uplift. This finding challenges the previously assumed mantle flow explanation and highlights the importance of monitoring groundwater reserves due to climate change.
Researchers used satellite data to analyze the impact of dust on snowmelt in the Colorado River Basin. The study found that dust-driven melting tends to peak earliest and be most intense in central-southern Rocky Mountains, accelerating spring melt rates by up to 1 mm water-equivalent per hour.
A tree-ring study published in Climatic Change suggests that severe summer droughts in 364, 365 and 366 CE led to the 'Barbarian Conspiracy' of 367 CE. The researchers argue that these droughts triggered food shortages and reduced grain supply to Hadrian's Wall, providing a motive for the rebellion.
Researchers found that high tree mortality in upper canopy can promote oak regeneration when maple is removed from understorey. Plantings on thinned forest plots showed fewer signs of drought stress, supporting oak growth.
Recent research highlights increased fire activity in the western US, with wildfires becoming less prone to calming down at night. Meanwhile, extreme turbulence on hurricane flights has led to a new 'bumpiness' metric. Climate extremes are also evident in shifting energy demands for heating and cooling in Chinese megacities.
A new method using free software and a drone with a low-cost camera has been developed to select drought-tolerant corn plants. The approach allows for optimized data collection, faster processing, and reduced costs compared to conventional methods.
A single dry winter decimated California’s salmon and trout populations, with coho salmon disappearing entirely from three coastal watersheds. Chinook salmon were able to cope by shifting their breeding activities downstream, but steelhead trout were eliminated from numerous individual tributaries.
The California Solar Canal Initiative brings together seven leading research universities to identify optimal locations for generating renewable energy and conserving land statewide. By covering large sections of the state's canal network with solar panels, researchers aim to conserve water, reduce air pollution and generate clean energy.
Prof. Günter Blöschl's research has made significant contributions to understanding the drivers of increasing flood risks under climate change and reveals that the last two decades have been markedly flood-prone compared to historical records.
Scientists at CRAG have made significant progress in understanding sorghum's molecular mechanisms and improving its breeding, focusing on enhancing drought tolerance. The team has identified key genetic mechanisms and developed an efficient transformation method using a ternary vector system.
Climate change drives large increases in electricity demand and costs in Texas due to extreme temperatures. Meanwhile, atmospheric rivers become more frequent, larger, and moister globally. Diagnostic studies also predict malaria outbreaks with five-month lead time using sea-surface temperature anomalies.
New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai receives a $1.16 million NSF CAREER Award to study how groundwater influences forest survival during climate stress, integrating ecology and hydrology perspectives.
A study by Florida Atlantic University investigated how removing dead wood could reduce wildfire risks and enhance carbon storage. The research found that combining physical harvesting with thinning significantly reduced wildfire risks, while lowering carbon emissions and offering carbon sequestration through products like biochar.
A new study unveiled a high-resolution SIF dataset to monitor vegetation photosynthesis during droughts, offering unprecedented insights into how plants respond to drought stress. The dataset provides continuous, high-resolution data, enhancing real-time monitoring of photosynthesis and vegetation health.
Global glacier mass loss has increased by 36% since 2000, with 6,542 billion tons lost between 2000 and 2023. This results in an 18 mm annual contribution to global sea-level rise, making glaciers the second-largest contributor after ocean warming.
A new analysis of seismic data shows that historic rainfall in 2023 nearly refilled surface reservoirs and shallow aquifers but failed to replenish deeper aquifers, leaving them 25% full. The study developed a new Seismic Drought Index to quantify water deficits at different depths, providing a potential tool for groundwater management.
A new study reveals how drought stress stimulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in grape berries via the ABA signaling pathway and microRNA miR156b. This discovery offers crucial insights into how grapevines respond to water scarcity, providing a foundation for enhancing grape quality through precise genetic and environmental interventions.
A new study reveals that increased aridity leads to a decrease in plant species diversity in drylands. The research found that the biomass of dominant plant species can obscure this effect, and past extreme droughts strengthen the link between rainfall and species diversity.
Research reveals that Eurasian Steppe grasslands are more susceptible to drought than North American Great Plains due to lower plant diversity. The study found a 43% reduction in annual productivity in Eurasia compared to a 25% reduction in North America under similar extreme drought conditions.
Researchers found that ornamental never never plants can store water for up to 45 days, maintaining photosynthetic activity and chloroplast structure unchanged. This helps them adapt to drought conditions, a challenge for many crops.
Researchers found that white-faced capuchin monkeys who showed a stronger stress response were more likely to survive extreme droughts. The study, led by UCLA's Susan Perry, used natural experiment of an El Niño drought in Costa Rica to investigate the adaptive nature of stress response.
A 40-year study reveals increasingly common and devastating megadroughts worldwide, with significant impacts on ecosystems and agriculture. The research used global meteorological data to track changes in drought patterns and their effects on vegetation, providing insights into the paradoxical responses of different forest types.
Researchers found that mosquitoes drink blood to survive droughts, not just water, allowing them to bite more frequently when rain comes. This increases the risk of spreading diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and Zika during dry periods.
A comprehensive survey predicts that 36% of anurans' habitats worldwide will be threatened by rising temperatures and water scarcity. The Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest, home to the most diverse anuran species, will face devastating effects from drought events.
2024 saw exceptional rainfall and flooding due to El Niño in winter 2023/24. Human-induced climate change exacerbated these events, causing socioeconomic impacts. Improved forecasting, warning dissemination, and 'climate-resilient' approaches are crucial for mitigating extreme event effects.
Plant scientists have discovered how abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin influence root growth angles in cereal crops like rice and maize to seek deeper water reserves. This mechanism could lead to developing drought-resistant crops with improved root system architecture, addressing global food security concerns.
Research links intensifying hydroclimate whiplash to the atmosphere's ability to absorb and release more water as temperatures rise. This 'whiplash' sequence in California has increased fire risk by twofold, with severe drought followed by record-breaking rainfall.
The 105th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society will address key issues in weather, water, and climate. The meeting features a Presidential Forum on physical, social, cultural, and economic impacts of climate change, with experts from the region of the Mississippi River Delta.
Scientists at La Brea Tar Pits have identified a mysterious fossil seed, unlocking key findings on past environmental changes and megafaunal extinction. The discovery highlights the vulnerability of junipers to modern climate change and informs conservation efforts.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's annual report highlights the challenges faced by Tennessee's farmers and foresters in 2024, including drought, agricultural land loss, and decreasing foreign market demand. The outlook for 2025 is clouded due to trade policy uncertainty, low crop prices, and high input costs.
New research maps 35 years of river changes on a global scale, revealing 44% of downstream rivers saw decreases in water flow, while 17% of upstream rivers saw increases. This shift has significant implications for flooding, ecosystem disruption, and freshwater supplies.
Researchers found a link between El Niño events and increased fire risk in the Amazon region, particularly where groundwater storage is compromised. The study highlights the critical role of groundwater in sustaining vegetation during droughts, emphasizing the need for prevention efforts during extreme climatic conditions.
The CGIAR Drought Action Catalyst aims to build global resilience to droughts, connecting communities with scalable solutions. The initiative focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and vulnerable regions, promoting co-design and collaboration to transform drought management.