Friday, December 4, 2015

Heat and Drought

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/sep/17/global-warmings-one-two-punch-extreme-heat-and-drought


The sun shines over dry corn plants in a field affected by drought, on July 17, 2015, in Roppenheim, eastern France, during a heat wave.


As humans emit greenhouse gases into the environment, it causes the Earth to warm, we already know that. What is less certain is how it will cause changes to the weather we experience in our lives. In the past few years, research looking into the connection between a warming planet and more extreme weather has found more conclusive connections.

The authors present results of various heat wave severity (85%, 90%, and 95% events) and for various durations (3 day, 5 day, and 7 day events). Focusing on 1960-2010, they found that the concurrence of all combinations of drought, heat wave intensity, and heat wave durations “have increased substantially in the south, southeast, and parts of the western USA.” 

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