A study has found that the frequency of "flash droughts" is increasing due to climate change.

Key Highlights :

1. Flash droughts, with a surprisingly rapid onset and often devastating impact, are becoming more frequent as human activity warms the planet.

2. Global warming is a recipe for increasing those special conditions around the world, creating in certain areas a decrease in precipitation and increased evaporation, which dries out the soil more quickly.

3. Under higher emissions scenarios, the trend would be more drastic.

4. The concept of flash drought emerged in the early 21st century, but has received more attention since the summer 2012 drought in the United States.

     Dry-spells known as flash droughts, with a surprisingly rapid onset and often devastating impact, are becoming more frequent as human activity warms the planet, according to a study published Thursday. Scientists from the University of California, Irvine and the University of Arizona found that the frequency and severity of these events are increasing due to human-caused climate change.

     "The study found that dry-spells have increased in frequency and severity in recent decades, with a particularly rapid increase in the past few years," said study author Benjamin Cook, a climate scientist at UC Irvine. "This is likely the result of human-caused climate change, which is making the Earth warmer and drier."

     Cook and his colleagues analyzed data from weather stations around the world to track the occurrence of dry-spells. They found that the frequency of these events has increased by about 30 percent since the 1970s, and that the severity of dry-spells has also increased. The study found that dry-spells have now become a more common occurrence in many parts of the world.

     "The findings underscore the importance of understanding the role of climate change in exacerbating dry-spell conditions, which can cause major agricultural losses and have other serious impacts," Cook said. "We need to do everything we can to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that is contributing to climate change."

     The study was published in the journal Nature.

Continue Reading at Source : phys