There have been devastating droughts in the past few years in places like Africa, Australia, and the United States. Last summer, the drought in the central US caused the loss of massive crops, causing a major economic hit for the country. The seemingly increasing prevalence of droughts has some announcing the effects of climate change coming to fruition. However, a new study from researchers at Princeton University in New Jersey and the Australian National University in Canberra has cast doubt on this premise. Their work indicates that the development of drought is much more complex than formerly believed and that recent droughts were more an aberration than an overall drying trend.
- New study questions link between warming and past droughts (phys.org)
- New drought model accounts for climate (futurity.org)
- Mary Ellen Harte: Climate Change This Week: Super Arctic Cyclones, Droughts to Deluges, and More! (huffingtonpost.com)