Thursday Top of the Scroll: Where California ‘atmospheric thirst’ ramped up following heat wave
While California’s reservoirs are currently 116% of normal for this time of year, other signs of drought are quickly creeping in. The reason: July’s extreme heat. “We’ve supercharged our drying,” said John Abatzoglou, a climatologist at UC Merced. Over the past few weeks, the atmosphere has been extremely thirsty, Abatzoglou said, pulling out large amounts of moisture from live vegetation and dead fuels. The indicator points to increased fire risk, beyond grasslands into higher elevation forests. Scientists refer to this thirst as evaporative demand. U.S. Drought Monitor maps also indicate the return of drought to California. Over just a few weeks, moderate drought emerged along the state’s border with Oregon.
Related article:
- Los Angeles Times: Tropical moisture mixes with California’s heat, driving storms, flood potential, fire risks
- The Conversation: Extreme heat is breaking global records: Why this isn’t ‘just summer,’ and what climate change has to do with it
- Newsweek: Map Shows Drought Across US Amid ‘Dangerous’ Heat