Researchers suggest that the drought in California is worsening due to the worldwide rising temperatures.
A new study suggests that the temperature changes could play out as an additional destructive factor for the Californian environment. The existing weather variations are already harmful enough for the dought in the state. With exponentially increasing temperatures melting into the air all of the moisture collected by trees and soil, the next 20 years of heat might just send California into complete aridity.
In this research, American meteorologists and bioclimatologists observed the pattern of a large number of sets of monthly data registered during the last century. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation stats have been analyzed carefully and the results are showing that the average temperatures have been steadily increasing throughout the decades, peaking at 2.5 degrees F.
Even the inhabitants admitted that they have felt the increase in temperature that made their state unbearably sweltering over the last two decades.
As rainfall rates declined drastically during the last five years, the air began to absorb the sparse moisture from crop plantations and soil more than it ever did. The explanation is simple: as the atmosphere is getting warmer, its need for moisture rises, and it takes it from the soil. Because of global warming Californian mountain snows have started melting in an accelerated way as well, whereas 10 years ago the melting was dispersed more gradually in time and has helped freshening up the lowlands during the hot season.
The scale of the drought caused by the increasing temperatures and weather changes in the last century have been estimated at around 15-20%. These findings bring out into the open what the future might reserve for West Coast climate of US and further affirms the theory of global warming is not meant to be taken lightly anymore.
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