In 1993, Zimbabwe experienced a severe drought, one of several during that period. Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall based on its width of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) and height of 108 meters (354 ft), creating under normal climate conditions the world's largest sheet of falling water.
š Victoria Falls
š· Filmscan 35mm (basic point-and-shoot camera from the early 90's)
š 1993
#photo #photography #foto #fotografie #baobab #victoriafalls #travel #35mm #travelphotography #nature #megadrought
#MegaDrought
"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/
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
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.
NASA Satellites Find Snow Didnāt 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."
@coloradosun
Wonderful!
But I fear it is just a temporary reprieve.
#climatechange
#megadrought
The American West May Be Entering a ā#Megadroughtā Worse Than Any in Historical Record - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/american-west-may-be-entering-megadrought-worse-any-historical-record-180974688/ @smithsonianmag
Study says #Californiaās 2023 snowy rescue from #megadrought was a freak event. Donāt get used to it
Last yearās snow deluge in California quickly erased a two decade long megadrought. With climate change, the snow bonanza will be less likely in the future.
Death Valley is alive this year. A #super #bloom is the latest sign.
In Californiaās Death Valley region, the last few months have been remarkably loud.
And the latest bellow is still ringing out, with the areaās #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.
ā©This display comes just weeks after the š¹resurrection of a long-dead lake,š¹ which filled the parkās 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.
ā©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 šdragging it out of a years-long #megadrought.š
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/04/13/death-valley-super-bloom/
Scientists Reveal What a Future 'Mega-Drought' in Australia Would Look Like
https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-reveal-what-a-future-mega-drought-in-australia-would-look-like #environment #ClimateChange #australia #MegaDrought #CanHappen
Australia should prepare for 20-year megadroughts as the climate crisis worsens, study finds
Australia should prepare for āmegadroughtsā that last more than 20 years and will worsen due to human-induced global heating, new research has found. Megadroughts are exceptionally severe periods of below average rainfall that last decades. Climate modelling by the Australian National University, published in the journal of... #australia #megadrought #drought #climatecrisis #climatechange #climatecatastrophe #science #worldnews
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 stateās greatest challenges: our dwindling #water supply.
āOur groundwater should be used to support #Arizonans, not foreign business interests,ā 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 Fondomonteās four leases and says it wonāt renew the others when theyāre up this month, the problem doesnāt end with Saudi agriculture.
"Itās also mining companies that take advantage of loopholes in the stateās water laws to maximize profit at the expense of Arizonans ā 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 ā 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 itās existentially dangerous.
#ResolutionCopper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, is a perfect example. Their proposed mine at #OakFlat ā about 70 miles east of #Phoenix in the #TontoNationalForest and within the Phoenix Active Management Area ā would pump 250 billion gallons of desert groundwater over the life of the project.
"Thatās 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 wonāt see a cent for it. And itās 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 Resolutionās 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 Hudbayās 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 Arizonaās precious desert groundwater would be an injustice to Arizonaās #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 stateās Active Management Areas.
"Weāre hopeful she will work to block #ResolutionCopperMine and other terrible mining projects like #Hudbayās. At the very least, itās 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
Increasing Prevalence Of Hot Drought Across Western North America Since The 16th Century
--
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
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 yearās 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 hectaresāan 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 #ElNiƱo. 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 NiƱo-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 ā summer and autumn ā were recorded in 2023, making it the hottest year ever recorded.
10. El NiƱo nears historic strength
The global weather phenomenon El NiƱo, 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 NiƱo following three years of La NiƱa, could evolve into one of the strongest El NiƱo 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
New climate research:
"Extreme heat and drought typical of an end-of-century climate could occur over Europe soon and repeatedly ā¦
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. ā¦
Europe-wide 5-year megadroughts become plausible"
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-01075-y
#ClimateResearch #Europe #ClimateCrisis #Drought #MegaDrought #FoodSecurity
@philip_cardella@historians.social
(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 simple we need to stop burning fossil fules to reduce...
The lionās 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
Arizona had set aside groundwater in La Paz County to act as an emergency backup water source for #Phoenix in event of a #megadroughtā¦ (hello!) The Land Department ignored water resource planning issued leases to Saudi alfalfa farm operators #fondomonte
AZ Attorney General is hamstrung with poorly written lease and is struggling to unwind this sweetheart dealā¦ this deal is rotten to the core
Was there a crime committed? Stay tuned
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
Client Info
Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.04
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst