Posts Tagged ‘drought’

New drought model accounts for climate

PRINCETON (US) — Recent droughts have led scientists to warn that global warming has already begun to increase worldwide drought, but new research says this might not be so. Continue…

Friday, January 4, 2013 15:26 - 0 Comments

Society & Culture - Jan 2, 2013 11:36 - 2 Comments

Rock art clarifies demise of pre-Aboriginal culture

U. QUEENSLAND (AUS) — Ancient rock art suggests a 1,500-year-long mega-drought may have been responsible for the disappearance of a pre-historic culture that predates present day Aboriginal people. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 14, 2012 10:55 - 0 Comments

Climate ‘sponge’ sucks plants dry in Southwest

U. ARIZONA (US) — Extreme droughts in the American Southwest are causing a water-thirsty atmosphere to pull moisture away from plants, creating increasingly stressful growing conditions, a study shows. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jun 27, 2012 11:58 - 0 Comments

Poorest nations’ food crops safer from famine

U. NOTTINGHAM / U. LEEDS (UK) — Very poor and relatively wealthy countries are less vulnerable to famine due to climate change—it is the group in the middle that is most at risk, say researchers. (more…)

Science & Technology - May 2, 2012 14:38 - 1 Comment

To better allocate aid, forecast famine

UC SANTA BARBARA (US) — Using climate and vegetation data, researchers say it may be possible to predict rainfall deficits in East Africa that could lead to food shortages. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 1, 2011 11:38 - 2 Comments

Climate shifts spell trouble for walnut trees

PURDUE (US) — Warmer, drier summers and extreme weather events considered possible as the climate changes would be especially troublesome—possibly fatal—for walnut trees, according to new research. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 17, 2011 10:43 - 1 Comment

Polluted air makes droughts, floods worse

U. MARYLAND (US) — Rising air pollution can strongly affect cloud formation in a way that can make floods and droughts even worse, a new study finds. (more…)

Science & Technology - Sep 27, 2011 16:45 - 1 Comment

Plants create water-rich spots around roots

UC DAVIS (US) — Soil scientists have shown for the first time that the soil around plant roots contains more water than does soil in other areas. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Aug 25, 2011 10:17 - 0 Comments

Drought simulators put crops to the test

U. MISSOURI (US) — Researchers have constructed two drought simulators to take a closer look at the effects of water deficiency on crops. (more…)

Earth & Environment - May 12, 2011 16:02 - 0 Comments

2,300 years of data warn of drought

U. PITTSBURGH (US) — A sediment core from a lake in the Andes Mountains suggests that as temperatures rise, summer monsoons will lessen, causing densely populated tropical regions to experience severe water shortages. (more…)

Science & Technology - Apr 13, 2011 13:27 - 1 Comment

Reset plants’ clock to wintertime

MICHIGAN STATE (US) — A circadian clock helps plants know when it’s time to kick their tolerance to freezing temperatures into high gear. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Feb 4, 2011 15:23 - 1 Comment

Amazon droughts could tip carbon scale

U. LEEDS (UK) — Two major droughts have scientists concerned that the Amazon rainforest will shift from being a carbon sponge to being a major greenhouse gas producer. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Dec 14, 2010 12:10 - 0 Comments

From space, keep tabs on groundwater

STANFORD (US) — Researchers have found a way to use satellites to see past crops and check water systems underground for signs of overuse. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Nov 2, 2010 10:37 - 0 Comments

Warmer temps linked to rainfall extremes

DUKE (US) — A doubling of abnormally wet or dry summer weather in the southeastern United States in recent decades has come from an intensification of the summertime North Atlantic Subtropical High (NASH), or “Bermuda High.” (more…)

Earth & Environment - Sep 9, 2010 11:39 - 0 Comments

Helping African farmers help themselves

CORNELL (US)—Two efforts led by researchers at Cornell University aim to improve soil health and advance plant breeding on small farms in Africa to lessen food insecurity, hunger, and poverty. (more…)

Society & Culture - Jun 8, 2010 16:12 - 0 Comments

Jamestown oysters record massive drought

UC DAVIS (US)—Oyster shells dumped in a well four centuries ago are shedding new light on the crippling drought that nearly wiped out the English settlement at Jamestown, Va., in its early years. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jan 18, 2010 13:02 - 1 Comment

Thirsty cities should mix it up

PENN STATE—To save money, avoid surpluses, and reduce shortages, urban water planners should combine three approaches to buy water: permanent rights, options, and lease. (more…)

Earth & Environment - Jul 21, 2009 12:32 - 0 Comments

Out West, hotter temps shrink water supply

U. COLORADO (US)—The Colorado River and the roughly 30 million people who depend on it for drinking and irrigation are facing a hot, dry future. New research suggests a warming climate is parching the river system’s reservoir. (more…)