Earth ID: 11773

NASA On Air: NASA Study Finds Carbon Emissions Could Dramatically Increase Risk Of U.S. Megadroughts (2/12/2015)

Released on February 12, 2015

LEAD: NASA study finds carbon emissions could dramatically increase risk of U.S. megadroughts.

1. Analysis of current greenhouse gas emission trends indicate that the Southwest and Central Plains have an 80% likelihood of megadroughts between the years 2050 and 2099.

2. This is the first study to compare future drought projections directly to drought records from the last 1000 years.

TAG: The 1930’s Dust Bowl only lasted a decade. These new results indicate future droughts may last at least 30 to 35 years.

For More Information

http://www.nasa.gov/earthrightnow

http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/february/nasa-study-finds-carbon-emissions-could-dramatically-increase-risk-of-us/#.VN0FB8cl6eU

Credits

Howard Joe Witte (ADNET): Producer
Greg Shirah (NASA/GSFC): Data Visualizer
Cheng Zhang (USRA): Data Visualizer
Joy Ng (USRA): Video Editor

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center