Lack of Moisture Connected to Drought Propagation

news image
Special Stories
20 Jun 2019 12:23 AM
[Countless lakes across the Southwest United States went dry in 2012, including this one, Teller Lake No.5, in eastern Boulder County, Colorado. Credit: UCAR, photo by Carlye Calvin.] [NOAA] Droughts have disastrous impacts on the agricultural, economic, and public health sectors. With the formation of droughts still being researched, scientists ability to forecast droughts for North America has been greatly affected. In a new research paper, Julio E. Herrera‐Estrada and co-authors used reanalysis data from 1980-2016 in combination with a moisture-tracking model to identify the effects that reduced moisture transport has in drought formation and dissemination in North America. They found that a decrease in moisture transport upwind resulted in more droughts across the United States. Also, they found that due to a lack of moisture exports, agricultural droughts upwind caused significant droughts downwind. In particular, the decreased moisture transport from land areas accounted for 62% of the precipitation deficiency in the high-profile Midwest drought of 2012. Furthermore, a decline in recycled moisture within a region corresponded to a decrease of transported moisture to that region. These results suggest that land‐surface may contain useful information for drought prediction, and highlight the importance of sustainable land‐use and of regional cooperation for drought risk management. Edited for WeatherNation by Meteorologist Mace Michaels
All Weather News
More
Heavy Rain Returns to Texas This Weekend

Heavy Rain Returns to Texas This Weekend

It has been over a week since the devastating

13 Jul 2025 3:15 AM
Timeline: How Catastrophic Flooding Unfolded in Texas Hill Country

Timeline: How Catastrophic Flooding Unfolded in Texas Hill Country

TEXAS - Catastrophic flooding devastated port

13 Jul 2025 3:10 AM
Watching the Gulf and Atlantic for Tropical Development, CSU Updates Seasonal Forecast

Watching the Gulf and Atlantic for Tropical Development, CSU Updates Seasonal Forecast

BREAKING: The National Hurricane Center is no

13 Jul 2025 3:00 AM
Heavy Rain, Flooding Threat Returns to Florida

Heavy Rain, Flooding Threat Returns to Florida

Keep the rain boots handy in Florida - heavy

13 Jul 2025 2:50 AM
Building Heat for West Coast Next Week

Building Heat for West Coast Next Week

High pressure is moving off the California co

13 Jul 2025 2:50 AM
Severe Storm Risk Pushes into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley

Severe Storm Risk Pushes into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley

Friday was another busy day with severe weath

12 Jul 2025 8:00 PM
Storms Return From the Front Range to Texas

Storms Return From the Front Range to Texas

Moisture is moving back into the Central and

12 Jul 2025 2:50 AM