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Articles on Drought

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A flash drought in 2012 dried out soil, harming crops in Kansas and several other states. John Moore/Getty Images

Farmers face a soaring risk of flash droughts in every major food-growing region in coming decades, new research shows

If greenhouse gas emissions continue at a high rate, breadbaskets of Europe and North America will see a 50% chance of a flash drought each year by the end of this century.
Cloud seeding can increase rainfall and reduce hail damage to crops, but its use is limited. John Finney Photography/Moment via Getty Images

Cloud seeding can increase rain and snow, and new techniques may make it a lot more effective – podcast

Cloud seeding – spraying materials into clouds to increase precipitation – has been around for nearly 80 years. But only recently have scientists been able to measure how effective it really is.
Sprinklers water a lettuce field in Holtville, California with Colorado River water. Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images

The Colorado River drought crisis: 5 essential reads

Two decades of drought have reduced the river’s flow by one-third compared to historical averages. The Biden administration is considering mandatory cuts to some states’ water allocations.
Americans – especially those living in areas affected by drought – are turning to paint to give their grass that perfect green sheen. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Why more and more Americans are painting their lawns

The ideal of perfect turf – a weed-free, supergreen monoculture – is a relatively recent phenomenon.
Could arts and culture become a new ‘bread basket’ export? This is one of four scenarios the Future Prairie Theatre research team explored. (Shutterstock)

The theatre we want in 2040? We used ‘strategic foresight’ to plan on the Prairies

Amid ecological and social change and economic instability, theatre artists in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba are mapping possible outcomes and goals.
California’s snowpack was more than twice the average in much of the state in early March 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Is the Western drought finally ending? That depends on where you look

Reservoirs and streams are in good shape in California and the Great Basin, but groundwater and ecosystems are another story. And then there’s the Colorado River Basin.
Hotter-burning fires and a warming climate make it harder for seedlings to survive. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The West’s iconic forests are increasingly struggling to recover from wildfires – altering how fires burn could boost their chances

Over 50 fire ecologists across the Western U.S. took an unprecedented look at how forests in thousands of locations are recovering from fire in a changing climate. The results were alarming.

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