climate change and drought

[We Never Know]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

 

[exchemist]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

Been to Pakistan recently?

 

[Estro Felino]

The situation has dramatically changed between the 20th and the early 21st century, so that Venetians had to build a complex dam system to prevent the city from being flooded. Which had never happened.
MOSE - Wikipedia

 

[MikeF]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

I suppose it is that type of question that is compelling to those who become meteorologists, to understand all the factors that contribute to a areas, regions, or continents prevailing climate during a particular span of time. Apparently it is not as simple as warm=wet.

 

[Shaul]

OP your post lacks specificity.

 

[metis]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

Under such conditions, weather patterns tend to change from the normal, thus some areas will get more than average precip and others less than average.

Also, with overall greater warming, there is indeed more humid that the air can hold, thus when it does rain it can really dump.

 

[pearl]

Even here in NE we've experienced drought conditions although nothing like other areas the world over. Especially some third world countries with no reliable irrigation systems. Countries keep sending humanitarian aid instead of helping them fix the problem, which now maybe too late to make a difference.

 

[We Never Know]

OP your post lacks specificity.

Drought around the world, August 2022, in dramatic images

Drought around the world, August 2022, in dramatic images

 

[Father Heathen]

 

[We Never Know]

The situation has dramatically changed between the 20th and the early 21st century, so that Venetians had to build a complex dam system to prevent the city from being flooded. Which had never happened.
MOSE - Wikipedia

Since 2000, the number and duration of droughts has risen 29%.

In 2022, more than 2.3 billion people face water stress from severe and prolonged droughts.

By 2050, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population

Drought in numbers 2022 - Restoration for readiness and resilience - World

 

[exchemist]

Since 2000, the number and duration of droughts has risen 29%.

In 2022, more than 2.3 billion people face water stress from severe and prolonged droughts.

By 2050, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population

Drought in numbers 2022 - Restoration for readiness and resilience - World

Now post the equivalent statistics on floods.

And then we can have something to discuss.

 

[We Never Know]

Now post the equivalent statistics on floods.

And then we can have something to discuss.

I am talking about droughts. If you want floods post them. And keep in mind that
parched ground due to drought is less likely to absorb water and increases the risk of dangerous flash floods

 

[exchemist]

I am talking about droughts. If you want floods post them.

Here you are: Climate change linked to increased risk of flooding in UK - Defra in the media

The point is simple: climate change leads to more extreme weather across the planet. This can manifest itself in droughts in some places and floods in others. The recent Pakistan flood is catastrophic, for example.

More on drought and climate change here: Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection? » Yale Climate Connections

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

Global liquid water distribution is like income distribution. The total can go up while certain subsets see less.

Frequently, in the American news weather reports of late, the western US is experiencing drought (with extreme heat and wildfires) while east of the Mississippi river is being inundated with flooding. The water has shifted east.

 

[We Never Know]

Here you are: Climate change linked to increased risk of flooding in UK - Defra in the media

The point is simple: climate change leads to more extreme weather across the planet. This can manifest itself in droughts in some places and floods in others. The recent Pakistan flood is catastrophic, for example.

More on drought and climate change here: Climate change and droughts: What’s the connection? » Yale Climate Connections

Despite the heavy rain and thunderstorms that have hit the UK this week, several areas of the country remain in drought. Drought was officially declared across eight regions of England on Friday 12 August, with a ninth – Yorkshire – added a few days later.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...2022/aug/19/why-areas-uk-drought-visual-guide

UK to manage water resources carefully as drought continues

 

[Heyo]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

Warmer air can hold more water than cold air. For rain to form you need a temperature gradient. E.g. it more often rains in the mountains because the water rich air rises along the slope and gets colder, so it rains.

 

[icehorse]

It's almost as if screwing around with the climate is complex and unpredictable.

 

[exchemist]

Despite the heavy rain and thunderstorms that have hit the UK this week, several areas of the country remain in drought. Drought was officially declared across eight regions of England on Friday 12 August, with a ninth – Yorkshire – added a few days later.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/19/why-areas-uk-drought-visual-guide?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw==#aoh=16648966070614&referrer=https://www.google.com&amp_tf=From %1$s&ampshare=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/19/why-areas-uk-drought-visual-guide

UK to manage water resources carefully as drought continues

I'm not sure what your point is here. Nobody is saying climate change does not lead to droughts. I posted an explanation as to why this happens, albeit focused on the US admittedly, rather than the UK.

A warmer climate does, as you suggest, mean more water vapour in the atmosphere and more precipitation in total, but that does not make it wet everywhere, all the time. It causes changes to atmospheric circulation, which can produce either floods or drought, in different places. The article on the US droughts pointed out that precipitation in the US is actually increased overall by climate change, but that is not inconsistent with worse droughts than previously, in certain areas.

On the other hand, in Europe in recent years we have had a series of serious floods: Germany floods: Dozens killed after record rain in Germany and Belgium. They have also been having them in Australia: Australia floods: 50,000 on evacuation alert after deluge hits Sydney .
And the US has just had hurricane Ian of course.

The key point that everyone makes about all this is that climate change leads to more extreme weather events: you get both worse droughts and worse floods and snowstorms.

 

[Twilight Hue]

With more ice melting, that means more liquid water.

Drought is all over and happening in many countries. The rivers, lakes, reservoirs, etc. are low in many places.

Water doesn't leave earth so where is all the water?

I'm no meteorologist but I would think more water + hotter temps would lead to more evaporation thus more rain, but droughts are all over.

Well water vapor is a greenhouse gas.

NASA - Water Vapor Confirmed as Major Player in Climate Change

 

[exchemist]

Well water vapor is a greenhouse gas.

NASA - Water Vapor Confirmed as Major Player in Climate Change

Correct. It is self-limiting at any given temperature, as it precipitates out, but more is retained as the atmosphere warms. As a result, it acts to amplify the greenhouse effect of the "permanent" or semi-permanent greenhouse gases, such as CO2 and methane.