Earth
ID: 13198
Human-generated greenhouse gases and atmospheric particles were affecting global drought risk as far back as the early 20th century, according to a study from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City.
The study, published in the journal Nature, compared predicted and real-world soil moisture data to look for human influences on global drought patterns in the 20th century. Climate models predict that a human “fingerprint” – a global pattern of regional drying and wetting characteristic of the climate response to greenhouse gases – should be visible early in the 1900’s and increase over time as emissions increased. Using observational data such as precipitation and historical data reconstructed from tree rings, the researchers found that the real-world data began to align with the fingerprint within the first half of the 20th century.
The team said the study is the first to provide historical evidence connecting human-generated emissions and drought at near-global scales, lending credibility to forward-looking models that predict such a connection. According to the new research, the fingerprint is likely to grow stronger over the next few decades, potentially leading to severe human consequences.
Human Influence on Global Droughts Goes Back 100 Years
The study, published in the journal Nature, compared predicted and real-world soil moisture data to look for human influences on global drought patterns in the 20th century. Climate models predict that a human “fingerprint” – a global pattern of regional drying and wetting characteristic of the climate response to greenhouse gases – should be visible early in the 1900’s and increase over time as emissions increased. Using observational data such as precipitation and historical data reconstructed from tree rings, the researchers found that the real-world data began to align with the fingerprint within the first half of the 20th century.
The team said the study is the first to provide historical evidence connecting human-generated emissions and drought at near-global scales, lending credibility to forward-looking models that predict such a connection. According to the new research, the fingerprint is likely to grow stronger over the next few decades, potentially leading to severe human consequences.
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Credits
LK Ward (USRA): Lead Producer
Jessica Merzdorf (Telophase): Lead Writer
Kel Elkins (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Kate Marvel (NASA/GSFC GISS): Scientist
Benjamin I. Cook (NASA/GSFC GISS): Scientist
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Jessica Merzdorf (Telophase): Lead Writer
Kel Elkins (USRA): Lead Visualizer
Kate Marvel (NASA/GSFC GISS): Scientist
Benjamin I. Cook (NASA/GSFC GISS): Scientist
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13198
This item is part of this series:
Narrated Movies
Keywords:
SVS >> Climate
SVS >> Drought
DLESE >> Soil science
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Agriculture >> Soils >> Soil Moisture/Water Content
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Climate Indicators >> Drought Indices >> Palmer Drought Severity Index
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Paleoclimate >> Land Records >> Tree Rings
SVS >> Greenhouse Gases
NASA Science >> Earth
GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13198
This item is part of this series:
Narrated Movies
Keywords:
SVS >> Climate
SVS >> Drought
DLESE >> Soil science
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Agriculture >> Soils >> Soil Moisture/Water Content
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Climate Indicators >> Drought Indices >> Palmer Drought Severity Index
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Paleoclimate >> Land Records >> Tree Rings
SVS >> Greenhouse Gases
NASA Science >> Earth
GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0
