A drought is a prolonged period of time with a shortage of precipitation, leading to water scarcity. It's essentially a dry spell that lasts for an extended duration, causing various problems related to water availability and use. Read more ...
The atmosphere's growing thirst is making droughts worse, even where it rains PhysOrg - June 4, 2025
A new study shows that the atmosphere's growing thirst for water is making droughts more severe, even in places where rainfall has stayed the same. The paper details how this "thirst" has made droughts 40% more severe across the globe over the course of the past 40 years.
Over half of Europe and Mediterranean basin hit by drought in mid-May PhysOrg - June 3, 2025
More than half, or 53%, of land in Europe and the Mediterranean basin were hit by drought in mid-May, according to an AFP analysis of data from the European Drought Observatory (EDO) from May 11-20, 2025. It was the highest level recorded for that period of time in the year since monitoring began in 2012, and more than 20 points higher than the average between 2012-2024 based on satellite imagery, which takes into account three benchmarks: precipitation, or rainfall, soil moisture and the state of vegetation.
Colorado River Basin megadrought caused by massive 86% decline in snowpack runoff PhysOrg - July 29, 2023
The Colorado River Basin provides freshwater to more than 40 million people within the semi-arid southwestern United States, including major cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles. However, between 2000 and 2021 the basin experienced a megadrought (a severe drought lasting multiple decades), which researchers have suggested likely would not have occurred if it were not for anthropogenic climate change. In particular, during 2020 and 2021, the river basin recorded the driest 20-month period since 1895 and the lowest river flow since 1906.
Preserved leaves reveal 7000 years of rainfall and drought PhysOrg - February 15, 2019
A study by University of Adelaide researchers and Queensland Government scientists has revealed what south-east Queensland's rainfall was like over the last 7000 years - including several severe droughts worse and longer lasting than the 12-year Millennium Drought. The study - published in Scientific Reports - used preserved paper-bark tea tree leaves from North Stradbroke Island's Swallow Lagoon that have been collecting in the sediment for the past 7700 years. The leaves – analyzed for chemical variation-provided a wealth of information on the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and how it was impacted by major climate changes over the millennia, including the Little Ice Age from about 1450 to 1850. Researchers found a generally wet period about 5000 to 6000 years ago - indicating a more consistent La Nina-like climate.
Chinese Cave Graffiti Tells of Ancient Droughts & Strife Live Science - August 20, 2015
An ancient cave with centuries of Chinese characters written on the walls reveals the history of severe droughts. By tying the cave graffiti to ratios of chemical elements in the stalagmites growing in the cave, a team of scientists created a snapshot of the climate over the last 500 years, said study co-author Sebastian Breitenbach, a paleoclimatologist at the University of Cambridge in England. The findings also suggest how vulnerable people in this region could be to drought.