A new study found compound drought-heatwave events are rippling farther and lasting through the night, raising risks for southwestern North America.
A new study found compound drought-heatwave events are rippling farther and lasting through the night, raising risks for southwestern North America.
Dry soils in northern Mexico may trigger episodes of simultaneous drought and heatwave hundreds of miles away in the southwestern United States, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, according to a new study. These “hot droughts” in the region increasingly persist through consecutive days and nights rather than easing up after sundown, the research also found, leaving no window for afflicted areas to recover.
Hot drought can kill crops, worsen wildfire risk, and shock workers and outdoor enthusiasts with unexpectedly high temperatures, all more than either drought or heat alone can do. Scientists involved in the study say the findings could help communities better anticipate and prepare for these stressful events in advance, such as by limiting outdoor working hours, keeping medically vulnerable individuals inside, and opening cooling centers when soils far upwind desiccate.
The study appears in Geophysical Research Letters, AGU’s journal for high-impact, innovative, and timely articles on major advances across the geosciences.
Read More: American Geophysical Union
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