Researchers develop a new way to predict droughts
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have developed a new method to assess the likelihood of extreme drought conditions in several different regions of the United States over the remainder of the century. Using this method, based on highly detailed regional climate models, they have found that droughts are likely to be exacerbated by global warming. This finding is especially likely in regions like the Midwest, Northwestern U.S. and California’s Central Valley. … In looking at future forecasts of droughts over the course of the remainder of the century, the researchers believe the new technique can help them to understand “flash drought” events that have a quick onset period that could be as short as few weeks.