New precipitation patterns may amplify changes to water supplies
Scientists say climate change may bring more drought (AP photo)
By Beth Daley, Globe Staff
It’s one of climate change’s vexing questions: How will changing precipitation patterns impact water supplies around the world.
While scientists know broadly that some places will get wetter and others will experience more drought conditions, it’s been extraordinarily hard to figure out how groundwater in specific geographic regions will be affected from less or more rain.
Now, a new analysis led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers has found that changes in groundwater may be much greater than the change in precipitation patterns. For example, in places where annual rainfall is projected to increase by 20 percent, groundwater might increase as much as 40 percent. More troubling is that a 20 decrease in rainfall could lead to a 70 percent decrease in the recharging of local aquifers. If that occurs in an already arid region, it will amplify drought conditions.
The researchers, led by MIT post-doctoral researcher Gene-Hua Crystal Ng, warn however, that detailed studies need to take place in each region. That’s because everything from soil type to vegetation -- and especially the timing and duration of rain events -- will determine how much water makes it to the aquifer below.
For example, frequent small rainstorms may be soaked up by plants, but intense storms will saturate the soil and deliver more water below.
"What we found was very interesting," Ng says. "It looks like the changes in recharge could be even greater than the changes in climate. For a given percentage change in precipitation, we're getting even greater changes in recharge rates."
For more information go to: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/agu-groundwater-1218.html
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There is climate change that occurs naturally in earth's cycles. Then you have the hoax that is man-made global warming which is a scam to milk trillions of dollars out of the global economy.
It is apparent to me, a person involved in the outdoors and ocean environment in S. Florida that indeed a major change to the weather patterns is in process. By my observation, Florida's climate is becoming dryer. We have over the last 5 years been living in a near drought state followed by short periods of excessive rain fall.
In addition, our coral reefs in the Florida Keys are in very poor shape; the last 10 years have brought about very visible changes to the coral reef ecosystem.
Ya right.. computer simuation models and on the dole forcasters also predicted global warming. In fact, no warming has occured since 2001, the 2008 arctic ice pack is back to the 1979 norm, the anarctic pack is at record levels, polar bear populations are increasing not decreasing, the sexed up hurricane forcasts for a score of major porportations never materized, the oceans are cooling not warming.. Next forcast please?
Oscar, you're a moron!
"Then you have the hoax that is man-made global warming . . ."
You got that right. These are the same people who expect us to believe that man really walked on the moon and that 9/11 wasn't an inside job.
How stupid do they think we area?
Roger from Florida- how old is the earth? your not fooling me with 5 years of "involved" data of weather patterns constitutes "major change?"
its below freezing in the Northeast today. bum.
"its below freezing in the Northeast today. bum."
Err . . . no. It's not. As I type this, it is 39 degrees at Logan Airport. The forecast high for today in the Boston area is 41 degrees. According to the National Weather Service, the average high for January is 35.7 degrees.
Of course all that means nothing, as weather does not equal climate. But exageration and hyperbole (however you feel about climate change) does not help anyone.
I believe that the plan is to move to another planet in the galaxy after we complete the destruction of Earth. So... we shouldn't worry about it until later.
It amazes me that there are idiots who dig real hard to find bogus data on the internet to 'debunk' warming theory, and who think they have any credibility at all when trying to dispute the work of actual researchers.
Alaska is experiecing it's coldest winter on record. In November in Anchorage the temperature didn't even RISE into the teens until Thanksgiving. They've never seen that before. Even today they are in the grip of an unbelieveable cold snap. The HIGH in Fairbanks will be about 35 below zero. In short, it's too soon to panic.
Harrybosch wrote "You got that right. These are the same people who expect us to believe that man really walked on the moon and that 9/11 wasn't an inside job.
How stupid do they think we are?"
Apparently very stupid Harry.
Posted by Harrybosch
I love the photo they used for this article -- it's even a scam. I'll bet the water level is down due to an upstream dam and not global climate change or whatever they want to call it this week. The fish wouldn't be on the bank unless the lake was drawn down quickly, like when a dam stops spilling water. If it were due to global climate change, then the fish would have to have been awfully slow to get beached. Especially when the bank is sloping towards the water and it's not a pool where it could have gotten trapped. A reporters job should not be to make up the news, just report the facts and let the public decide.
Global warming is nothing more than a world-wide disinformation campaign to get people to stop trusting their own observations.
Period.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
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