US Western Megadrought Worst In 1,200 Years, Scientist Warn

Zubu Brothers ^ | 2-18-2022

[blam]

Images of dry lake beds, scorched forests and charred buildings, and drought-stricken farmland from the American West have been published in newspapers worldwide as a megadrought intensifies. Many have wondered just how severe the current drought is, and perhaps, that question can be answered in a new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

A new peer-reviewed study titled “Rapid intensification of the emerging southwestern North American megadrought in 2020–2021” says the last 22-year dry period is the worst since the Vikings and Mayans ruled parts of the world, or about 1,200 years ago.

“Anyone who has been paying attention knows that the west has been dry for most of the last couple decades,” Park Williams, a climate scientist at the University of California and the study’s lead author, told the Guardian.

Park used tree-ring records to reconstruct summer soil moisture content across centuries and allowed the researcher to believe the current low soil moisture is on par with moisture dating back to the year 800. He also said the conditions would likely persist through 2022.

“Rather than starting to die away after wet years in 2017 and 2019, the 2000s drought has ramped up with authority in 2020-2021, making clear that it’s now as strong as it ever was,” Park said, adding “there is evidence that the 2000s drought is starting to relent.”

We have published countless weather notes and the state of the drought in the western half of the US for years. One of the most damning pictures we’ve reported is Great Salt Lake’s progression of dwindling water levels over the last 35 years.

The situation has been worsening over the last few years as several major reservoirs are quickly drying up, forcing people to evacuate their boats and causing hydroelectric plants to shutter due to not having enough water to spin turbines.

Here are some of those images of dried-up lake beds.

According to data from the US Drought Monitor, the current state of the western half of the US is under a severe drought.

An unrelenting megadrought that is drying up lakes should be a major concern to lakefront homeowners who still have water left — maybe now is the time to sell before your oasis transforms into a desert.

[cdcdawg]

1200 years? Oh, I don’t know, the drought in 877 was pretty terrible out there as I remember it.

[Mark]

If only Liz Warren could do a rain dance!Oh, NO I need bleach for my eyes!

[gnarledmaw]

Its not just California though. Its the asinine Western water rights. There isnt a shortage of water, theres a shortage of bulldozers and the authority to use them. This wont end until the water rights issue is rectified or the American West sinks under a new ocean.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I don’t believe you were there. We’d have to ask Brandon if he remembers you being there.

[SaxxonWoods]

“US Western Megadrought Worst In 1,200 Years, Scientist Warn”

You could have warned us sooner.

[G Larry]

And then there is reality: 6 Of Colorado’s 8 Major River Basins Remain Above Normal On Snowpack

[mountainlion]

Oh no not again, we just had another 1200 year drought last week.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Worse drought in 1200 years? Worse than then 1275AD drought that lasted 25 years?
Worse than the 1834 Drought that dried up the High Plains?
Worse than the 1922 drought that dried up the San Juan River?
Worse than the 1929-1940 droughts of the Dust Bowl?
Worse than the 1952 drought that drove us off of the High Plains?
Tree ring data from the last 2000 years shows many, many more droughts in the American Southwest.

There is a reason the West has been called THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT for the last 200 years.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

In the past long before people arrived, the Salt Lake was far bigger taking in much of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Now what happened long before the White Man arrived to dry up these lakes? The Great Salt Lake is also drying up just as it has been doing since time memorial.

Map of Bonneville lake..
https://landingaday.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/lake-bonneville-map1.jpg

[A Navy Vet]

The southwest is essentially a desert. This is not news. What is news is that the "experts" now believe Covid-19 has been instrumental in Climate Change. Is there anything that doesn't affect climate change or global warming or whatever they call it at the moment?

Wait, our little doggy had diarrhea this morning when taken outside to the backyard. There must be some connection, just can't place it right now. More methane, maybe?

[blam]

"I wonder where they found the Viking and Mayan weather/climate records to compare their maps against?"

Tree rings. Very accurate.

[blam]

"If only Liz Warren could do a rain dance!Oh, NO I need bleach for my eyes!"

Doctor My Eyes

[CFW]

Hey! I recognize this tune! I’ve heard it before. BTW, didn’t they have to remove the signs from the glaciers that said “the glaciers will be gone by 2020 due to global warming”? I believe they removed those signs, which were placed in front of the view of the glaciers that were still there, in 2021. Talk about missing the forecast!

Areas on the earth goes through cycles. Sometimes places get more rain, sometimes less. Nonetheless Earth persists in existing!

[Caipirabob]

We had the rainiest summer in all my years here just recently. If we have a drought, it is planned and intentional.

[daniel1212]

Posted West megadrought worsens to driest in at least 1,200 years

2/15/2022, 10:03:11 PM · 115 of 121
daniel1212 to Oldeconomybuyer

It seems anything can be predicted or assigned to CC:

Climate Impacts in the Midwest

Precipitation is greatest in the eastern part of the Midwest and less towards the west.[1] Heavy downpours are already common, but climate change is expected to intensify storms and lead to greater precipitation across the entire region during this century. Annual precipitation has already risen by as much as 20% in some areas.[1] Projections of future precipitation indicate that heavy downpours are likely to occur primarily in winter and spring months while summers will become drier, especially in the southern portion of the region. - https://climatechange.chicago.gov/climate-impacts/climate-impacts-midwest

daniel1212 to Oldeconomybuyer

Just from one page of search returns.

2011 Extreme Weather and Climate Change: The Midwest Devastating deluges, record floods and deadly heat waves have raised the question of whether there’s a connection between these events and global warming. The bottom line answer is yes: ...Above-normal rain and melting snow caused record releases from upstream dams in Spring 2011. Credit: Columbia Missourian....More than 1,300 daily precipitation records were broken during April across the Midwest and South. For the month, 72 locations reported their rainiest day in any April on record and five of these stations set a new all-time record for the rainiest 24-hour period for any month, the National Climatic Data Center reported...

Lake Erie Algae Bloom Matches Climate Change Projections ... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lake... Aug 05, 2014 · An increase in heavy rainfall is already being seen throughout the U.S. The Midwest has seen a 37 percent increase in the amount of rain falling in heavy precipitation events since the late 1950s

What Climate Change Means for Michigan - US EPA https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/... Heavy Precipitation and Flooding. Changing the climate is likely to increase the frequency of floods in Michigan. Over the last half century, average annual precipitation in most of the Midwest has increased by 5 to 10 percent.

For a flooded Midwest, climate forecasts offer little comfort March 29, 2019 Global warming has the potential to intensify the Earth’s water cycle, which will alter the quantity, frequency, intensity and duration of rain and snowfall. As my research and work by others has shown, all of these changes raise the risk of floods for Midwest states. ..These factors mean that climate change is likely to cause a disproportionate increase in heavy precipitation events in the Midwest, a trend that is already apparent when looking at historic climate data. From 1951 through 2013, my study found that light and moderate precipitation across the Midwest increased by about 1 percent per decade, while heavy precipitation increased by 4.4 percent per decade.

Did climate change cause Midwest flooding? » Yale by Samantha Harrington April 2, 2019.. Some of the root causes – like wetter weather and rapid spring warm ups – have become more likely due to climate change.

Record Rain Is Drowning Fields in the Midwest — Is It Climate Change? Heavy rains and flooding through the winter and spring have left fields across the Midwest too wet to plant. By Anna FunkJun 11, 2019 11:00 AM... It’s too soon to say whether this year’s crop and flood damages can be attributed to climate change. But one thing’s for certain: predictions for a warmer future have these areas slated for more of these extreme rainfall events. A map showing the 2019 rankings for regional precipitation. Higher numbers indicate more rain and 124 is the highest possible rank, meaning that this year saw the most rain since records began 124 years ago. (Credit: NOAA)

Prepare for more downpours: Heavy rain has increased across most of the United States, and is likely to increase further By Michon Scott Reviewed By Dan Barrie Published July 10, 2019 Updated July 6, 2021

[GreyFriar]

Tree rings grow naturally, irrespective of the Vikings and Mayans, unless the researchers were able to document that the Vikings and Mayans traveled through the west coast states planting the trees. (yes, a bit of sarcasm)

[blam]

World History, As Tree Rings Tell It, Gains Accuracy

[Retain Mike]

It must be caused by manmade global warming. But wait. How could it be hotter 1,200 years ago? I need counseling.

[TigersEye]

I didn’t know we had 1,200 years worth of satellite imagery of North America.
I’d like to take a look at some of that. Just to look back at the good times.

[logi_cal869]

Junk science.

No time to post graphics, so have some fun looking at this page

http://cdec.water.ca.gov/resapp/RescondMain

comparing to the same at whatever time in the past you see fit at archive.org. Note: If the graphics don’t load at archive.org, click on the link for “printable version of current data”.