megadrought
Decades-long water scarcity
A megadrought is an exceptionally severe drought lasting decades or longer.
The term distinguishes these extended dry periods from ordinary droughts of a few years: The American Southwest experienced megadroughts before European contact.
Climate scientists use the term when discussing both paleoclimate records and future projections under climate change.
Major southwestern American waterway
- Lake MeadMajor Colorado River reservoir
- Lake PowellSouthwestern reservoir on Colorado
- evaporationLiquid turning to gas
- water scarcityInsufficient freshwater for demand
Land becoming barren, infertile
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- extreme weatherUnusual, dangerous atmospheric events
- heatwaveProlonged abnormally high temperatures
temperature rise · anthropogenic · climate crisis · paleoclimate · climate modeling · La Niña · dust bowl · ecosystem collapse
When fields yield nothing
- famineSevere food shortage
- food insecurityUncertain access to adequate meals
- harvest failureWhen planted fields produce nothing
- fallowingLeaving cropland unplanted
Colorado River
Major southwestern American waterway
- Lake MeadMajor Colorado River reservoir
- Lake PowellSouthwestern reservoir on Colorado
- evaporationLiquid turning to gas
water scarcity · desiccation · aridity · water shortage · overallocation
desertification
Land becoming barren, infertile
- climate changePlanetary atmospheric transformation
- global warmingRising planetary temperatures
- extreme weatherUnusual, dangerous atmospheric events
heatwave · temperature rise · anthropogenic · climate crisis · paleoclimate · climate modeling · La Niña · dust bowl · ecosystem collapse · environmental impact
crop failure
When fields yield nothing
- famineSevere food shortage
- food insecurityUncertain access to adequate meals
- harvest failureWhen planted fields produce nothing
habitat loss
Elimination of living spaces
- Droughtwater shortage, dry spell, dry spells, no rain, low rainfall
- Mega- Wordsmegabyte, megahertz, megaton, megawatt, megapixel
megadroughtmegaflood
Immense prehistoric inundation event
deluge · flooding · inundation · superflood · great flood