Worst 'Megadrought' in 1,000 Years Likely Due to Global Warming, Researchers Say

摘要

The U.S. is facing its worst drought in 1,000 years, "driven primarily" by climate change associated with human activity, according to an article published Feb. 12 in the journal Science Advances. By the end of this century, researchers are predicting years-long dry spells exacerbated by higher temperatures, creating conditions worse than so-called mega-droughts that have been linked to the decline of American Indian cultures in the U.S. Southwest, the researchers said. The conclusion is further evidence that human activity is having profound, harmful and long-lasting impacts on the planet and will continue to threaten the environment even if carbon emissions are significantly curtailed, the article added. "The bad news is, these past megadroughts-and we don't use 'mega-' lightly-when we compare the characteristics of those to the projections from future models, the future's worse," said Jason Smerdon, a climate scientist at Columbia University in New York and one of the authors of the report;