[MCN] "The area of land considered "dryland" is increasing, dry areas are merging into larger, interconnected "mega-drying" regions."

[Lance Olsen]

Google’s AI Overview

The earth is drying out due to a combination of climate change and overuse of water resources, leading to an unprecedented expansion of dry areas across the globe. Climate change increases evaporation and decreases precipitation in many regions, while human activities like pumping groundwater faster than it can be replenished are depleting aquifers and causing irreversible land drying. This "mega-drying" is a major threat, with some experts warning that water shortages could affect the entire planet by 2040. 
Causes
Climate change: Rising global temperatures lead to more evaporation from soil, rivers, and lakes, and altered precipitation patterns that result in less rainfall in many areas.
Overuse of water: Human demand for water for agriculture, industry, and domestic use is exceeding natural replenishment rates.
Groundwater depletion: People are pumping groundwater from aquifers much faster than it can be naturally refilled, which is a major driver of land drying and even contributes to sea level rise. 
Effects
Expansion of drylands: The area of the Earth's land considered "dryland" is increasing, and these dry areas are merging into larger, interconnected "mega-drying" regions.
Increased water scarcity: The drying is threatening water availability for billions of people and raising the risk of severe water shortages.
Increased risk of conflict: Experts warn that the drying of the Earth and coastal flooding could increase instability and conflict.
Irreversible damage: In many areas, the soil moisture loss may be irreversible on human timescales, especially due to the overpumping of aquifers. 
Current status
Accelerated drying: The rate of drying has been accelerating in recent years, with the area of land losing water increasing by an area the size of California each year, according to a 2024 study.
Global impact: The drying is not limited to specific regions; it is occurring on every continent.
Impact on ecosystems: The Amazon rainforest, for example, is approaching tipping points where it could transform into a drier savanna. 
—————————————————————————————————
"By the end of the 21st century, forest ecosystems in the United States will differ from those of today as a result of changing climate.”

“Climate change will alter ecosystem services, perceptions of value, and decisions regarding land uses.” 

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station

General Technical Report PNW-GTR-870

December 2012

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr870/pnw_gtr870.pdf

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bigskynet.org/pipermail/missoula-community-news_bigskynet.org/attachments/20251102/f5e01094/attachment.htm>