The Southwest United States is currently facing its worst megadrought of the past 1,200 years. According to a recent study by the University of Texas at Austin, the drought could continue at least until the end of the century, if not longer. … Much like the seven-year El Niño and La Niña climate patterns, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) has been a dependable ocean climate cycle that alternately brings long phases of drought and rains to the Southwest U.S. every 20 to 30 years. However, a study published in Nature Geoscience that analyzed the area’s climate record going back for millennia suggests that this is not necessarily the case. Researchers found that during the last period of hemispheric warming some 6,000 years ago, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was forced out of rhythm, leading to a drought that lasted for thousands of years. Now, as the world warms under the effects of climate change, it appears to be happening again.

Other drought and water scarcity news:

• The New York Times: The West’s megadrought might not let up for decades, study suggests
• National Review: Opinion: The grand bargain of desalination
• Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.): Nearly a billion people will be affected by a scarcity of water by 2100, Northeastern researchers say