Drought Essay

A lack of rain or snow for an extended period causes dry weather, otherwise known as a drought (**). When temperatures rise because of the global climate change, moisture from the land and water evaporates, which leaves less water on the Earth (**). While some places are getting more snow and rain to make up for the climate change, others are getting less.

Droughts are becoming longer and more intense internationally since the 1970’s (**). If there is no change, studies show that droughts are going to keep getting longer and more severe. Droughts are dangerous because they mean less water for things like watering crops, drinking, and production electricity by hydroelectric dams. The Southwest United States is currently at risk for droughts because water supplies are draining in states like Arizona, where water is insufficient enough as it is.

Wild Weather

Warm ocean water serves as the energy to power hurricanes and other tropical storms. The storms and hurricanes get fiercer with faster winds and denser rain when the upper layer of the ocean gets warm. Climate change causes storms to be more extreme because of the higher heat and added evaporation. Storms in the Atlantic have become even stronger over the past twenty years. The United States has also experienced more powerful one-day storms since the 1980’s that generate rain and snow at an unusual rate (**). With the weather getting warmer, it is expected that heavier snowstorms and rainstorms will happen more often, and that storms around the globe will keep getting stronger. Storms and hurricanes are hazards that can damage buildings, hurt crops, cause floods, and put people’s lives in danger.

Melting Glaciers

Glaciers are big chunks of ice and snow that are found all ye...

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...e tourism, which is big in the Southwest, to suffer dramatically.

In the Great Plains, rising temperatures, quick evaporation, and the occurrence of drought cause water to be even scarcer. The reduced water supplies and hotter temperatures are threatening things affiliated with agriculture, like ranching and the natural lands. The climate change is also affecting plants and animals by shifting major habitats, such as the prairie dog’s potholes.

In the Coastal region, sea levels continue to drastically rise, increasing the risk of people living in coastal cities. Because of the temperature rise and warmer waters, there is a seasonal decline of oxygen in the coastal ecosystems that will continue to increase. High temperatures and high acidification of the ocean will affect coral reefs. And, fluctuating ocean currents will affect coastal ecosystems and ways of life.