Drying soils in northern Mexico can trigger simultaneous drought and heat wave episodes in the southwestern United States, including Arizona and states like Texas and New Mexico, according to a new study involving an Arizona State University professor. Co-authored by Enrique Vivoni, a senior global futures scientist with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, the research underscores the increasing persistence of “hot droughts,” which extend across consecutive days and nights, hindering recovery and posing significant risks to the region. A hot drought is described as droughts intensified by extreme temperatures that amplify evaporation, plant stress and the loss of moisture in the soil.