#megadrought — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #megadrought, aggregated by home.social.
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Vanishing Of Very Small Glacierets Throughout The Northern And Central Andes Of Chile
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https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10052 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1377216 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2025.1565290 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10050 <-- shared paper
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#water #hydrology #glacier #glacierets #chile #southamerica #andes #mountains #continental #cryosphere #delineation #fluctuations #GIS #spatial #mapping #meteorology #remotesensing #change #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #climatechange #extremeweather #snow #ice #melting #vanishing #ChileanPublicGlacierInventory #catalogue #loss #reduction #megadrought #hydrography -
Vanishing Of Very Small Glacierets Throughout The Northern And Central Andes Of Chile
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https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10052 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2024.1377216 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2025.1565290 <-- shared paper
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https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2026.10050 <-- shared paper
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#water #hydrology #glacier #glacierets #chile #southamerica #andes #mountains #continental #cryosphere #delineation #fluctuations #GIS #spatial #mapping #meteorology #remotesensing #change #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #climatechange #extremeweather #snow #ice #melting #vanishing #ChileanPublicGlacierInventory #catalogue #loss #reduction #megadrought #hydrography -
@EVDHmn I'm not sure about that, but apparently there could have been a #MaunderMinimum triggering the #Megadrought during the #MingDynasty (which I did not know about)!
Excerpt: "Our results indicate that the late Ming megadrought from 1625 – 1644 CE occurred in both the northern and southern parts of the East Asian monsoon region in China. However, variations in the onset, duration, and magnitude of this event differ between regions. The combination of factors such as Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies, weakened solar activity, and large-scale volcanic eruptions may have contributed to the occurrence of the late Ming megadrought. These factors are also identified as key drivers of interannual to decadal fluctuations in drought in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Our reconstruction provides an historical context for the development of adaptive measures to mitigate future drought impacts in the region."
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@EVDHmn I'm not sure about that, but apparently there could have been a #MaunderMinimum triggering the #Megadrought during the #MingDynasty (which I did not know about)!
Excerpt: "Our results indicate that the late Ming megadrought from 1625 – 1644 CE occurred in both the northern and southern parts of the East Asian monsoon region in China. However, variations in the onset, duration, and magnitude of this event differ between regions. The combination of factors such as Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies, weakened solar activity, and large-scale volcanic eruptions may have contributed to the occurrence of the late Ming megadrought. These factors are also identified as key drivers of interannual to decadal fluctuations in drought in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Our reconstruction provides an historical context for the development of adaptive measures to mitigate future drought impacts in the region."
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A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning:
Human activity may be driving drought more intensely
– and more directly
– than previously understood.The southwestern United States has been in a historic #megadrought for much of the past two decades,
with its reservoirs including lakes Mead and Powell dipping to record lows
and legal disputes erupting over rights to use water from the Colorado River.This drought has been linked to the 👉 "Pacific Decadal Oscillation",
a climate pattern that swings between wet and dry phases every few decades.
Since a phase change in the early 2000s, the region has endured a dry spell of epic proportions.The PDO was thought to be a natural phenomenon,
governed by unpredictable natural ocean and atmosphere fluctuations.
But new research published in the journal Nature suggests that’s no longer the case.
Working with hundreds of climate model simulations, our team of atmosphere, earth and ocean scientists found that
💥the PDO is now being strongly influenced by human factors and has been since the 1950s.
It should have oscillated to a wetter phase by now -- but instead it has been stuck.
🔥Our results suggest that drought could become the new normal for the region unless human-driven warming is halted
https://theconversation.com/climate-models-reveal-how-human-activity-may-be-locking-the-southwest-into-permanent-drought-262837 -
A new wave of climate research is sounding a stark warning:
Human activity may be driving drought more intensely
– and more directly
– than previously understood.The southwestern United States has been in a historic #megadrought for much of the past two decades,
with its reservoirs including lakes Mead and Powell dipping to record lows
and legal disputes erupting over rights to use water from the Colorado River.This drought has been linked to the 👉 "Pacific Decadal Oscillation",
a climate pattern that swings between wet and dry phases every few decades.
Since a phase change in the early 2000s, the region has endured a dry spell of epic proportions.The PDO was thought to be a natural phenomenon,
governed by unpredictable natural ocean and atmosphere fluctuations.
But new research published in the journal Nature suggests that’s no longer the case.
Working with hundreds of climate model simulations, our team of atmosphere, earth and ocean scientists found that
💥the PDO is now being strongly influenced by human factors and has been since the 1950s.
It should have oscillated to a wetter phase by now -- but instead it has been stuck.
🔥Our results suggest that drought could become the new normal for the region unless human-driven warming is halted
https://theconversation.com/climate-models-reveal-how-human-activity-may-be-locking-the-southwest-into-permanent-drought-262837 -
Southwestern #drought likely to continue through 2100, research finds
Southwestern #US is experiencing a #megadrought resulting in the #aridification of the landscape, a decades-long drying of the region brought on by climate change and the overconsumption of the region’s #water.
Using an ensemble of historical and future #climate models forecasting climate and precipitation patterns until 2100, they found that the PDO-like negative phase continues through this century.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/07/southwestern-drought-likely-to-continue-through-2100-research-finds/ -
Southwestern #drought likely to continue through 2100, research finds
Southwestern #US is experiencing a #megadrought resulting in the #aridification of the landscape, a decades-long drying of the region brought on by climate change and the overconsumption of the region’s #water.
Using an ensemble of historical and future #climate models forecasting climate and precipitation patterns until 2100, they found that the PDO-like negative phase continues through this century.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/07/southwestern-drought-likely-to-continue-through-2100-research-finds/ -
The West’s #Megadrought Might Not Let Up for Decades, Study Suggests
Not in 12 centuries has the region been so dry for so long. Clues from another dry spell 6,000 years ago are helping scientists understand what’s driving the latest one, and why it’s been so unrelenting. It seems to be the result of a pattern of #Pacific #Ocean temperatures that is “stuck” because of #globalwarming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/climate/southwest-megadrought.html
https://archive.ph/GdGhH
#drought #climatechange #paleoclimatology -
The West’s #Megadrought Might Not Let Up for Decades, Study Suggests
Not in 12 centuries has the region been so dry for so long. Clues from another dry spell 6,000 years ago are helping scientists understand what’s driving the latest one, and why it’s been so unrelenting. It seems to be the result of a pattern of #Pacific #Ocean temperatures that is “stuck” because of #globalwarming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/climate/southwest-megadrought.html
https://archive.ph/GdGhH
#drought #climatechange #paleoclimatology -
"The outlook calls for continued dry conditions in the #Southwest, where global warming is a key driver of a long-term #megadrought that is already disrupting water supplies to cities and nationally important agricultural zones.
The outlook is bad news for Colorado River and Rio Grande flows, and for soil moisture and vegetation health across the region. Drying vegetation heightens concerns for another bad wildfire season in the Southwest."
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24032025/noaa-critical-drought-warnings-spring-climate-outlook/
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"The outlook calls for continued dry conditions in the #Southwest, where global warming is a key driver of a long-term #megadrought that is already disrupting water supplies to cities and nationally important agricultural zones.
The outlook is bad news for Colorado River and Rio Grande flows, and for soil moisture and vegetation health across the region. Drying vegetation heightens concerns for another bad wildfire season in the Southwest."
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24032025/noaa-critical-drought-warnings-spring-climate-outlook/
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The #ColoradoRiver is shrinking due to #ClimateChange, which means the nation's 2 largest #reservoirs, #LakeMead & #LakePowell, created by #dams, have reached record low levels in recent years amid a #megadrought spanning >2 decades. If #water levels fall much lower, they could lose the ability to generate #hydropower within the massive dams that hold them back, or even lose the ability to pass water downstream.
#Trump #Idiocracy #PublicDisservice #USpol #DrinkingWater #Agriculture #economy
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The #ColoradoRiver is shrinking due to #ClimateChange, which means the nation's 2 largest #reservoirs, #LakeMead & #LakePowell, created by #dams, have reached record low levels in recent years amid a #megadrought spanning >2 decades. If #water levels fall much lower, they could lose the ability to generate #hydropower within the massive dams that hold them back, or even lose the ability to pass water downstream.
#Trump #Idiocracy #PublicDisservice #USpol #DrinkingWater #Agriculture #economy
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Severe droughts are getting bigger, hotter, drier and longer
Droughts lasting multiple years are becoming more common and extreme around the globe, expanding by about 50,000 square kilometres annually.
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Severe droughts are getting bigger, hotter, drier and longer
Droughts lasting multiple years are becoming more common and extreme around the globe, expanding by about 50,000 square kilometres annually.
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NASA Satellites Find Snow Didn’t Offset Southwest US Groundwater Loss
"Record snowfall in recent years has not been enough to offset long-term drying conditions and increasing groundwater demands in the U.S. Southwest, according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data.
"Declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake and Lake Mead have been testaments to a #megadrought afflicting western North America since 2000."
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NASA Satellites Find Snow Didn’t Offset Southwest US Groundwater Loss
"Record snowfall in recent years has not been enough to offset long-term drying conditions and increasing groundwater demands in the U.S. Southwest, according to a new analysis of NASA satellite data.
"Declining water levels in the Great Salt Lake and Lake Mead have been testaments to a #megadrought afflicting western North America since 2000."
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Study says #California’s 2023 snowy rescue from #megadrought was a freak event. Don’t get used to it
Last year’s snow deluge in California quickly erased a two decade long megadrought. With climate change, the snow bonanza will be less likely in the future.
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Study says #California’s 2023 snowy rescue from #megadrought was a freak event. Don’t get used to it
Last year’s snow deluge in California quickly erased a two decade long megadrought. With climate change, the snow bonanza will be less likely in the future.
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Death Valley is alive this year. A #super #bloom is the latest sign.
In California’s Death Valley region, the last few months have been remarkably loud.
And the latest bellow is still ringing out, with the area’s #native #wildflowers bursting into bloom.The flowers have filled a place best known for its shades of browns and grays with brilliant blasts of yellow and purple and sprinkles of pink and cream.
This display comes just weeks after the 🔹resurrection of a long-dead lake,🔹 which filled the park’s Badwater Basin and drew visitors from across the country for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to paddle across a body of water rarely revived since prehistoric days.
These fleeting phenomena can both be traced to the unusual and record-setting precipitation that has inundated the state since August, when Hurricane Hilary gave Death Valley its #wettest #day ever.Subsequent storms dumped even more rain on the desert, eventually 🌟dragging it out of a years-long #megadrought.🌟
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/13/death-valley-super-bloom/
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Death Valley is alive this year. A #super #bloom is the latest sign.
In California’s Death Valley region, the last few months have been remarkably loud.
And the latest bellow is still ringing out, with the area’s #native #wildflowers bursting into bloom.The flowers have filled a place best known for its shades of browns and grays with brilliant blasts of yellow and purple and sprinkles of pink and cream.
This display comes just weeks after the 🔹resurrection of a long-dead lake,🔹 which filled the park’s Badwater Basin and drew visitors from across the country for a once-in-a-lifetime chance to paddle across a body of water rarely revived since prehistoric days.
These fleeting phenomena can both be traced to the unusual and record-setting precipitation that has inundated the state since August, when Hurricane Hilary gave Death Valley its #wettest #day ever.Subsequent storms dumped even more rain on the desert, eventually 🌟dragging it out of a years-long #megadrought.🌟
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/13/death-valley-super-bloom/
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via @arizonamirror
If #Hobbs is serious about protecting #groundwater, she must work to close the #mining loophole
by Russ McSpadden
February 12, 2024"In her first State of the State address just over a year ago, Gov. #KatieHobbs was unequivocal about her commitment to tackling one of the state’s greatest challenges: our dwindling #water supply.
“Our groundwater should be used to support #Arizonans, not foreign business interests,” she said in that speech, referring to the Saudi Arabian conglomerate #Fondomonte. Over the past few years, Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater in La Paz County for alfalfa crops that it ships to feed cows on the other side of the earth.
"Though the Hobbs administration has already canceled one of Fondomonte’s four leases and says it won’t renew the others when they’re up this month, the problem doesn’t end with Saudi agriculture.
"It’s also mining companies that take advantage of loopholes in the state’s water laws to maximize profit at the expense of Arizonans — including mining giants #RioTinto and# BHP.
"Because of intense pressure from #lobbyists, when lawmakers adopted the much-heralded #ArizonaGroundwaterManagementAct in 1980 they exempted #mines from groundwater regulation, even when located in #ActiveManagement Areas — state-designated areas where groundwater pumping is controlled. That means that mines can pump unlimited amounts of water without paying the state a dime.
"This exemption was controversial in 1980. Today it’s existentially dangerous.
#ResolutionCopper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, is a perfect example. Their proposed mine at #OakFlat — about 70 miles east of #Phoenix in the #TontoNationalForest and within the Phoenix Active Management Area — would pump 250 billion gallons of desert groundwater over the life of the project.
"That’s 17 million gallons of water every day for four decades.
"Under current water prices, that equates to $404 million worth of groundwater that Resolution Copper will get for free. Arizona won’t see a cent for it. And it’s more than likely that the copper ore from Oak Flat will be exported to China for smelting, again depriving local communities of economic benefit.
"This limitless pumping would happen even as the #megadrought that has plagued the #AmericanSouthwest for the past two decades is likely to worsen, straining the #ColoradoRiver and #Gila rivers even more and making us all more reliant on groundwater aquifers.
"If left intact, the mining loophole will facilitate construction of Resolution’s massive mine. The extreme water pumping from the #EastSaltRiverValley will lead to groundwater depletion and subsidence, threatening to deplete wells and damage infrastructure.
"The #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, where I work, has been fighting for decades to stop this mine, and Canadian mining company Hudbay’s disastrous plan to mine for copper in the #SantaRita Mountains south of #Tucson (in the Tucson Active Management Area).
"Both projects would devastate surrounding fragile #ecosystems, pushing endangered species like the #MexicanSpottedOwl closer to the brink of #extinction. They would also destroy sacred #TribalLands and gulp down massive amounts of water when other users are being asked to conserve.
"Handing mines unlimited access to Arizona’s precious desert groundwater would be an injustice to Arizona’s #Tribes and every resident of this state.
"Fortunately, Hobbs has the vision and courage to fight for a secure water future for Arizona. It is time for her to work with legislators to close the mining loophole in Arizona water law and subject mines to the same groundwater pumping limits that apply to other entities within the state’s Active Management Areas.
"We’re hopeful she will work to block #ResolutionCopperMine and other terrible mining projects like #Hudbay’s. At the very least, it’s time for mining giants to pay for the water they use just like the rest of us."
#WaterIsLife #HumanRightsViolations #CulturalGenocide #CopperMining #Mining #CorporateColonialism #EnvironmentalRacism #IndigenousNews #SaveOakFlat #IndigenousRights #Apache
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via @arizonamirror
If #Hobbs is serious about protecting #groundwater, she must work to close the #mining loophole
by Russ McSpadden
February 12, 2024"In her first State of the State address just over a year ago, Gov. #KatieHobbs was unequivocal about her commitment to tackling one of the state’s greatest challenges: our dwindling #water supply.
“Our groundwater should be used to support #Arizonans, not foreign business interests,” she said in that speech, referring to the Saudi Arabian conglomerate #Fondomonte. Over the past few years, Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater in La Paz County for alfalfa crops that it ships to feed cows on the other side of the earth.
"Though the Hobbs administration has already canceled one of Fondomonte’s four leases and says it won’t renew the others when they’re up this month, the problem doesn’t end with Saudi agriculture.
"It’s also mining companies that take advantage of loopholes in the state’s water laws to maximize profit at the expense of Arizonans — including mining giants #RioTinto and# BHP.
"Because of intense pressure from #lobbyists, when lawmakers adopted the much-heralded #ArizonaGroundwaterManagementAct in 1980 they exempted #mines from groundwater regulation, even when located in #ActiveManagement Areas — state-designated areas where groundwater pumping is controlled. That means that mines can pump unlimited amounts of water without paying the state a dime.
"This exemption was controversial in 1980. Today it’s existentially dangerous.
#ResolutionCopper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, is a perfect example. Their proposed mine at #OakFlat — about 70 miles east of #Phoenix in the #TontoNationalForest and within the Phoenix Active Management Area — would pump 250 billion gallons of desert groundwater over the life of the project.
"That’s 17 million gallons of water every day for four decades.
"Under current water prices, that equates to $404 million worth of groundwater that Resolution Copper will get for free. Arizona won’t see a cent for it. And it’s more than likely that the copper ore from Oak Flat will be exported to China for smelting, again depriving local communities of economic benefit.
"This limitless pumping would happen even as the #megadrought that has plagued the #AmericanSouthwest for the past two decades is likely to worsen, straining the #ColoradoRiver and #Gila rivers even more and making us all more reliant on groundwater aquifers.
"If left intact, the mining loophole will facilitate construction of Resolution’s massive mine. The extreme water pumping from the #EastSaltRiverValley will lead to groundwater depletion and subsidence, threatening to deplete wells and damage infrastructure.
"The #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, where I work, has been fighting for decades to stop this mine, and Canadian mining company Hudbay’s disastrous plan to mine for copper in the #SantaRita Mountains south of #Tucson (in the Tucson Active Management Area).
"Both projects would devastate surrounding fragile #ecosystems, pushing endangered species like the #MexicanSpottedOwl closer to the brink of #extinction. They would also destroy sacred #TribalLands and gulp down massive amounts of water when other users are being asked to conserve.
"Handing mines unlimited access to Arizona’s precious desert groundwater would be an injustice to Arizona’s #Tribes and every resident of this state.
"Fortunately, Hobbs has the vision and courage to fight for a secure water future for Arizona. It is time for her to work with legislators to close the mining loophole in Arizona water law and subject mines to the same groundwater pumping limits that apply to other entities within the state’s Active Management Areas.
"We’re hopeful she will work to block #ResolutionCopperMine and other terrible mining projects like #Hudbay’s. At the very least, it’s time for mining giants to pay for the water they use just like the rest of us."
#WaterIsLife #HumanRightsViolations #CulturalGenocide #CopperMining #Mining #CorporateColonialism #EnvironmentalRacism #IndigenousNews #SaveOakFlat #IndigenousRights #Apache
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Increasing Prevalence Of Hot Drought Across Western North America Since The 16th Century
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https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj4289 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #model #modeling #USA #USWest #NorthAmerica #historicrecord #drought #climatechange #anthropogenicwarming #hightemperature #heat #extremeweather #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #soil #soilmoisture #temperature #maximum #hydroclimate #paleoclimate #climate #water #hydrology #waterresources #droughts #megadrought #hot #dry -
Increasing Prevalence Of Hot Drought Across Western North America Since The 16th Century
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https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj4289 <-- shared paper
--
#GIS #spatial #mapping #model #modeling #USA #USWest #NorthAmerica #historicrecord #drought #climatechange #anthropogenicwarming #hightemperature #heat #extremeweather #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #soil #soilmoisture #temperature #maximum #hydroclimate #paleoclimate #climate #water #hydrology #waterresources #droughts #megadrought #hot #dry -
my features published in #CurrentBiology this year, issue 3: #groundwater supplies are shrinking around the world due to unsustainable use and #megadrought linked to #ClimateCatastrophe https://proseandpassion.blogspot.com/2024/02/running-out-of-groundwater.html
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my features published in #CurrentBiology this year, issue 3: #groundwater supplies are shrinking around the world due to unsustainable use and #megadrought linked to #ClimateCatastrophe https://proseandpassion.blogspot.com/2024/02/running-out-of-groundwater.html
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The top 10 most impactful #weather events of 2023
From powerful #hurricanes and #tornadoes to drought-busting storms and the deadliest #wildfire in the US in a century, here is a look back at the most unforgettable weather events of 2023.
By Monica Danielle, AccuWeather senior producer
Published Dec 26, 2023
1. Record-breaking January tornado outbreak
In a month typically clocking inches of snow, there were a whopping 168 tornadoes reported over two outbreaks, more than triple the historical average for January, setting a new record for the month.
An outbreak on January 12 produced 70 tornado reports across seven states. This date included two EF3 tornadoes that resulted in at least 9 deaths and 34 injuries across #Alabama and #Georgia. An EF2 tornado also caused devastation in the historic city of #SelmaAlabama, about 40 miles west of Montgomery.
2. Violent EF4 tornado rips through #Mississippi, killing 17
On March 24, two dozen twisters touched down across the Southeast, including the deadliest and one of the year’s most violent tornadoes. The EF4 tornado ripped through #Rolling ForkMississippi, and claimed the lives of 17 people, including a couple killed by a large semi-truck that was tossed into their home.
3. The most notable tornado outbreak of the year
The most notable tornado outbreak of 2023 was the deadly and now historic outbreak that impacted large portions of the Midwest, South, and East U.S. on March 31 and April 1. The year's second and final EF4 tornado was one of 122 twisters reported across multiple states. AccuWeather's own storm tracker and meteorologist, Tony Laubach, captured incredible footage of one of the strongest tornadoes of the year when he intercepted the twister in southeast #Iowa near the city of #Ottumwa.
4. Drought-busting #AtmosphericRivers unload record-breaking #snow
Coming into 2023, drought was a major concern for #California and other parts of the West. "This is a #megadrought," California Governor Gavin Newsom said. "Some scientists argue it's the most significant in 1200 years of human history." But it wouldn't be long until the #drought was wiped out completely.
5. Smoke from #Canada's worst-ever wildfire season blankets US cities
Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, obliterating all other years in terms of area burned. Over the course of the fire season, flames scorched an estimated 18.4 million hectares—an area roughly the size of North Dakota. According to NASA, on average, just 2.5 million hectares burn in Canada each year.
6. Deadliest US wildfire in more than a century sweeps through #Maui, #Hawaii
The wildfire that ignited in Maui on August 8 was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, killing at least 106 people and all but incinerating #Lahaina, destroying every building in the town of 13,000.
7. #HurricaneIdalia slams #Florida's Nature Coast
The above-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was characterized by record-warm #AtlanticSeaSurfaceTemperatures and a strong #ElNiño. A total of 20 storms were named in 2023, along with a tropical depression and an unnamed subtropical storm. This ranks fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950 and the most on record during an El Niño-influenced season. Seven storms were hurricanes, three intensifying to major #hurricanes.
8. #HurricaneLee stirs up rough surf, and dangerous rip currents along East Coast
Before making landfall in far western #NovaScotia, Hurricane Lee caused dangerous surf and rip currents along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Lee claimed two victims, a 51-year-old man who was killed by a falling tree branch in #Maine and a teenager who drowned off the coast of Florida amid rough seas churned up by the hurricane. The monstrous storm cut power to more than 280,000 electric customers across Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as it roared ashore.
9. The hottest year in recorded history
Six record-breaking months and two seasons – summer and autumn – were recorded in 2023, making it the hottest year ever recorded.
10. El Niño nears historic strength
The global weather phenomenon El Niño, in which surface waters are abnormally warm in the eastern tropical Pacific, was a major player in many of the top weather events in 2023. The major shift to El Niño following three years of La Niña, could evolve into one of the strongest El Niño events observed over the past 75 years, new data shows.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-top-10-most-impactful-weather-events-of-2023/1603146
#ClimateCrisis #ClimateCatastrophe #USWx #USWeather #Weather2023 #WeatherExtremes #ExtremeHeat
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The top 10 most impactful #weather events of 2023
From powerful #hurricanes and #tornadoes to drought-busting storms and the deadliest #wildfire in the US in a century, here is a look back at the most unforgettable weather events of 2023.
By Monica Danielle, AccuWeather senior producer
Published Dec 26, 2023
1. Record-breaking January tornado outbreak
In a month typically clocking inches of snow, there were a whopping 168 tornadoes reported over two outbreaks, more than triple the historical average for January, setting a new record for the month.
An outbreak on January 12 produced 70 tornado reports across seven states. This date included two EF3 tornadoes that resulted in at least 9 deaths and 34 injuries across #Alabama and #Georgia. An EF2 tornado also caused devastation in the historic city of #SelmaAlabama, about 40 miles west of Montgomery.
2. Violent EF4 tornado rips through #Mississippi, killing 17
On March 24, two dozen twisters touched down across the Southeast, including the deadliest and one of the year’s most violent tornadoes. The EF4 tornado ripped through #Rolling ForkMississippi, and claimed the lives of 17 people, including a couple killed by a large semi-truck that was tossed into their home.
3. The most notable tornado outbreak of the year
The most notable tornado outbreak of 2023 was the deadly and now historic outbreak that impacted large portions of the Midwest, South, and East U.S. on March 31 and April 1. The year's second and final EF4 tornado was one of 122 twisters reported across multiple states. AccuWeather's own storm tracker and meteorologist, Tony Laubach, captured incredible footage of one of the strongest tornadoes of the year when he intercepted the twister in southeast #Iowa near the city of #Ottumwa.
4. Drought-busting #AtmosphericRivers unload record-breaking #snow
Coming into 2023, drought was a major concern for #California and other parts of the West. "This is a #megadrought," California Governor Gavin Newsom said. "Some scientists argue it's the most significant in 1200 years of human history." But it wouldn't be long until the #drought was wiped out completely.
5. Smoke from #Canada's worst-ever wildfire season blankets US cities
Canada experienced its worst wildfire season on record, obliterating all other years in terms of area burned. Over the course of the fire season, flames scorched an estimated 18.4 million hectares—an area roughly the size of North Dakota. According to NASA, on average, just 2.5 million hectares burn in Canada each year.
6. Deadliest US wildfire in more than a century sweeps through #Maui, #Hawaii
The wildfire that ignited in Maui on August 8 was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century, killing at least 106 people and all but incinerating #Lahaina, destroying every building in the town of 13,000.
7. #HurricaneIdalia slams #Florida's Nature Coast
The above-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season was characterized by record-warm #AtlanticSeaSurfaceTemperatures and a strong #ElNiño. A total of 20 storms were named in 2023, along with a tropical depression and an unnamed subtropical storm. This ranks fourth for the most-named storms in a year since 1950 and the most on record during an El Niño-influenced season. Seven storms were hurricanes, three intensifying to major #hurricanes.
8. #HurricaneLee stirs up rough surf, and dangerous rip currents along East Coast
Before making landfall in far western #NovaScotia, Hurricane Lee caused dangerous surf and rip currents along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Lee claimed two victims, a 51-year-old man who was killed by a falling tree branch in #Maine and a teenager who drowned off the coast of Florida amid rough seas churned up by the hurricane. The monstrous storm cut power to more than 280,000 electric customers across Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as it roared ashore.
9. The hottest year in recorded history
Six record-breaking months and two seasons – summer and autumn – were recorded in 2023, making it the hottest year ever recorded.
10. El Niño nears historic strength
The global weather phenomenon El Niño, in which surface waters are abnormally warm in the eastern tropical Pacific, was a major player in many of the top weather events in 2023. The major shift to El Niño following three years of La Niña, could evolve into one of the strongest El Niño events observed over the past 75 years, new data shows.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-top-10-most-impactful-weather-events-of-2023/1603146
#ClimateCrisis #ClimateCatastrophe #USWx #USWeather #Weather2023 #WeatherExtremes #ExtremeHeat
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New climate research:
"Extreme heat and drought typical of an end-of-century climate could occur over Europe soon and repeatedly …
Even under moderate warming, end-of-century heat and drought levels virtually impossible 20 years ago reach 1-in-10 likelihoods as early as the 2030s. …
Europe-wide 5-year megadroughts become plausible"
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-01075-y
#ClimateResearch #Europe #ClimateCrisis #Drought #MegaDrought #FoodSecurity
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(4/n)
...It has happened time and again before on a much smaller scale. Most noticeably so in the 12th century BCE in the mediterranean when a 150 year #Megadrought caused the invasion of the #SeaPeople, e.g. in #AncientEgypt, causing the #BronzeAgeCollapse*.
Only that the global population was a little over 100 mn people and not 8,100 mn people.**
It is really quite simple, we need to stop burning fossil fueles to reduce...
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(4/n)
...It has happened time and again before on a much smaller scale. Most noticeably so in the 12th century BCE in the mediterranean when a 150 year #Megadrought caused the invasion of the #SeaPeople, e.g. in #AncientEgypt, causing the #BronzeAgeCollapse*.
Only that the global population was a little over 100 mn people and not 8,100 mn people.**
It is really quite simple, we need to stop burning fossil fueles to reduce...
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The lion’s share is used to grow water thirsty crops in the desert to feed the unsustainable cattle industry.
#Water #MniWiconi #WaterIsLife #ColoradoRiver #ClimateChange #MegaDrought
From: @coloradosun
https://mstdn.social/@coloradosun/110888341479301638 -
The lion’s share is used to grow water thirsty crops in the desert to feed the unsustainable cattle industry.
#Water #MniWiconi #WaterIsLife #ColoradoRiver #ClimateChange #MegaDrought
From: @coloradosun
https://mstdn.social/@coloradosun/110888341479301638 -
Gift Link on the Rio Verde water situation #water #AZ #RioVerde #climate #megadrought https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/us/arizona-water-rio-verde-scottsdale.html?unlocked_article_code=X7hc8ukWpHmZmn-eed5UAF5I2GvMqhGiUnRTGdIW3Uuz7IqgFTS2Yw4S4Sg3NCfhMUvjdqCvZD52K-OmvKCKnKnhEPTQrqtH29UFKQLc52_C1Pmp3IjOPG5Mer_0jPMztHQe9m_U7BtMKklsJKngNBGsN6Orvu2M3JeojjCdLJf6bBEQhrZEsElqKueEgt7WYbHuQHmeVQlaivrL83ZI-WUiGcg88P4W0MUBe-ft1PPEe_sdXUcCo4yDHJT9viOcMfQac5gESYNn__65f8AaTyuOyHZBP2pzvStawVRK7NGkJo2zllO70M-roWN9KwWsYh8dz3FfyQ9ib5_jVfTuiSt7cXNVzfg&smid=url-share
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Gift Link on the Rio Verde water situation #water #AZ #RioVerde #climate #megadrought https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/us/arizona-water-rio-verde-scottsdale.html?unlocked_article_code=X7hc8ukWpHmZmn-eed5UAF5I2GvMqhGiUnRTGdIW3Uuz7IqgFTS2Yw4S4Sg3NCfhMUvjdqCvZD52K-OmvKCKnKnhEPTQrqtH29UFKQLc52_C1Pmp3IjOPG5Mer_0jPMztHQe9m_U7BtMKklsJKngNBGsN6Orvu2M3JeojjCdLJf6bBEQhrZEsElqKueEgt7WYbHuQHmeVQlaivrL83ZI-WUiGcg88P4W0MUBe-ft1PPEe_sdXUcCo4yDHJT9viOcMfQac5gESYNn__65f8AaTyuOyHZBP2pzvStawVRK7NGkJo2zllO70M-roWN9KwWsYh8dz3FfyQ9ib5_jVfTuiSt7cXNVzfg&smid=url-share
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[Nat Geo] Why is America running out of water?:
"By 2100 the U.S. population will have increased by nearly 200 million, with a total population of some 514 million people. Given that we use water for everything, the simple math is that more people mean more water stress across the country."https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-americas-looming-water-crisis
#earthday #worldwaterday #megadrought
#uspopulationgrowth #unsustainablegrowth #congestionahead -
[Nat Geo] Why is America running out of water?:
"By 2100 the U.S. population will have increased by nearly 200 million, with a total population of some 514 million people. Given that we use water for everything, the simple math is that more people mean more water stress across the country."https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-americas-looming-water-crisis
#earthday #worldwaterday #megadrought
#uspopulationgrowth #unsustainablegrowth #congestionahead -
Short-Lived Solutions for Tall Trees in Chile’s Megadrought
Southern beech trees in the Andes are going to great lengths to survive the megadrought in Chile. They're tapping into deeper water sources as the surface dries up, but this could deplete resources and jeopardize their future health
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/short-lived-solutions-for-tall-trees-in-chiles-megadrought via EOS #forestry #forest #Megadrought #drought #planthealth #plantscience #plantsci #trees
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Ponderosa forests struggle in the face of Southwest #megadrought
As temperatures increase and prolonged drought continues, a new study of #ponderosa forests in the Four Corners region underscores the importance of summer #monsoons. #ecology https://news.arizona.edu/story/ponderosa-forests-struggle-face-southwest-megadrought -
#Cdnpoli #Uspoli Phoenix #Water #MegaDrought
Arizona limits future home-building in Phoenix area due to lack of groundwater.
Action set to slow population growth for one of the most rapidly expanding areas of the US amid ‘megadrought’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/02/phoenix-arizona-limits-future-home-building-drought
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No groundwater, no new homes, as Arizona severely restricts new housing - Enlarge / Aerial view of a subdivision in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale. (c... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=1943967 #sustainabledevelopment #climatechange #groundwater #megadrought #science #policy
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Ars Technica: No groundwater, no new homes, as Arizona severely restricts new housing https://arstechnica.com/?p=1943967 #Tech #arstechnica #IT #Technology #Sustainabledevelopment #climatechange #groundwater #megadrought #Science #Policy
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Of course it’s not, but it is small step in the right direction.
Saving the iconic Colorado River — scientists say latest plan is not enough
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01746-yMost of the water goes to agriculture and the lion’s share goes to water for animal feed crops (cattle). No one should be growing alfalfa in the desert, one of the most water intensive crops.
#ColoradoRiver #megadrought #water #mniwiconi #WaterIsLife #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #drought #Nature