Tag Archives: drought

Drought situation in the US

Some parts of US (Texas, Arizona, etc.) have been under severe drought for quite some time.  See the latest drought monitor.  Researchers are now saying that the Southwest is currently undergoing aridification – modification to a desert landscape.  This has long-term repercussions to world’s economy.

Desertification in the US?

Guest blog by Mason Hay and Rachel Richardson Desertification is the complex process of land that was once productive being degraded. It involves multiple causes, including drought, overgrazing, and poor agricultural methods, and it proceeds at varying rates in different climates. Deserts advance with no distinct pattern, forming patches on their borders. Areas far from […]

Coal plants are a step in the wrong direction?

Guest Blog by Luke Wilson, Jasmine Woods, and Jaqueline Stogner The recent drought and influx of people in SC has caused the state-owned utility company, Santee Cooper, to propose the construction of two 660-megawatt coal-fired power plants in Florence County in order to keep up with SC’s growing electricity demand. Coal burning plants emit carbon […]

Is the increased flooding around the world a sign of things to come?

Several floods from around the world have been in the news over the past few weeks.  Even though we didn’t see many hurricanes in the Atlantic this year, localized storm activity seems to be linked to climate change.  There were intense droughts followed by deluges in South Asia and also in cities right here in […]

Estimates of groundwater depletion in the “bread basket” of India

It’s very hard to assess how fast groundwater is being removed for agricultural use and how much is being recharged.  This is even more difficult when no centralized records are maintained regarding groundwater usage.  No such assessments are available for northwestern India, which is often referred to as the “bread basket” of India as they […]