Climate change in focus as nearly all of US states face droughts after summer of record heat
The US Drought Monitor has found that nearly all of the 50 US states are facing drought, an unprecedented number. Even as the country experiences autumn, the droughts continue to rise, posing problems for agriculture, transportation and resources.
Nearly 54% of land in all of the US states, except Kentucky and alaska, is affected by droughts. More than 150 million people in the country are facing the situation. This is an over 150% increase since last month, reported the Guardian.
The serious drought levels are also affecting more than 318 million acres of crops in the US – a 57% increase since last month, according to the tracker. In a recent development, experts noted that the planet’s hydrological cycle is out of balance for the first time in human history.
Drought not simply caused by a decrease in precipitation
The drought engulfing much of the US this month shines light on global heating and climate change, triggered primarily by the burning of fossil fuels by humans. The climate catastrophe has been pushing global temperatures higher and making storms more intense.
Drought conditions, nonetheless, are not simply caused by a decrease in precipitation – but are exacerbated by abnormally high temperatures that can quickly suck moisture from the atmosphere and the ground, as per the media agency.
The problem is drought can okay even if there is slightly more rain than usual. It all depends on the frequency of a rainfall. If there is a lot of rain all at at once, it becomes difficult for all that precipitation to be properly absorbed by the ground, leading to runoff and flooding.
