Aridification
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Aridification is the process of a region becoming increasingly arid, or dry. It refers to long term change,[1] rather than seasonal variation.
It is often measured as the reduction of average soil moisture content. It can be caused by natural or anthropogenic means such as climate change, reduced precipitation, increased evaporation, lowering of water tables or changes in ground cover. Its major consequences include reduced agricultural production, soil degradation, ecosystem changes and decreased water catchment runoff.[2]
Aridification affects the Colorado River basin and other parts of western North America.[3]
See also[]
- Arid
- Arid Forest Research Institute
- Climate change and agriculture
- Desert
- Global warming
- Groundwater
- Soil moisture
- Water balance
- Water content
- Water cycle
References[]
- ^ Heidari, Hadi; Arabi, Mazdak; Warziniack, Travis; Kao, Shih-Chieh (2020). "Assessing Shifts in Regional Hydroclimatic Conditions of U.S. River Basins in Response to Climate Change over the 21st Century". Earth's Future. 8 (10): e2020EF001657. doi:10.1029/2020EF001657. ISSN 2328-4277.
- ^ "GLASOD Classification of Soil Degradation" (PDF). United Nations ESCAP. February 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2019-09-04.
- ^ University of Michigan (May 19, 2020). "But it's a dry heat: Climate change and the aridification of North America". Science Daily. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
Journal Reference: Jonathan T. Overpeck and Bradley Udall. Climate change and the aridification of North America. PNAS, 2020 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006323117
Categories:
- Water and the environment
- Desertification