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Page added on September 17, 2015
Decades-Long “Megadrought” Looms For Entire US As Lake Powell Runs Dry, NASA Warns
With the number of people living in the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains, and the volume of water they need, having increased rapidly over recent decades – and, with NASA scientists expecting these trends to continue for years to come – the current severe drought combined with the tapping of the Lake Powell’s water at what many consider to be an unsustainable level, has reduced its levels to only about 42% of its capacity.
Forecasting that there is an 80 percent chance of an extended drought in the area between 2050 and 2099 unless aggressive steps are taken to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the researchers said their results point to a challenging – and remarkably drier – future.
As Reuters reports, scientists from NASA and Cornell and Columbia universities warned earlier this year that the U.S. Southwest and Central Plains regions are likely to be scorched by a decades-long “megadrought” during the second half of this century if climate change continues unabated.
More than 500 feet (150 meters) deep in places and with narrow side canyons, the shoreline of the lake is longer than the entire West Coast of the United States. It extends upstream into Utah from Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam and provides water for Nevada, Arizona and California.
…
The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid to late spring, as winter snow melts in the Rockies. But since 2012, snow and rainfall totals have been abnormally low as the region suffered persistent drought.
As the following images show, all around the lake, strikingly pale bands of rock have been exposed by the receding waters…
See more stunning images here…
52 Comments on "Decades-Long “Megadrought” Looms For Entire US As Lake Powell Runs Dry, NASA Warns"
Plantagenet on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 7:21 pm
Obama promised to institute carbon taxes and sign a global climate treaty to stop global warming.
Instead, Obama now ducks the question of carbon taxes and his tiff with the Chinese at the 2009 Copenhagen meeting sunk any chance of a binding UN global climate change treaty.
Global warming is here, and things are only going to get worse, i.e. hotter.
CHEERS!
Davy on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 8:07 pm
Lets see, will anyone be around in 2050-2099 to care? I see a vastly different human ecosystem by then.
penury on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 8:19 pm
The predicament must be really bad. I have not heard any candidate for Pres talk about the drought. Of course Congress also sees no problem. How long do we have before we have to evacuate Vegas, Ariz, LA ?
jjhman on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 8:37 pm
Plant is now blaming Obama for global warming.
Rodster on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 8:42 pm
“I see a vastly different human ecosystem by then.”
At the rate events and the environment are spiraling out of control, humans may not be part of the NEW ecosystem.
Makati1 on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 8:46 pm
penury, if they are smart, they will begin migrating now. If they wait, they may have to cross the dust bowl that will form in the mid-west soon.
The government is not making it easy to migrate out of the country if you have anything of value and the East Coast is going to fill up quick.
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/snowpack-sierra-nevada-500-year-low-researchers-say-n426061
And the beat goes on…
Hawkcreek on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 9:40 pm
The lake wasn’t there 200 years ago. If it goes dry now it will almost be like we didn’t hurt anything.
Better than our usual performance.
GregT on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 9:47 pm
“If it goes dry now it will almost be like we didn’t hurt anything.”
Almost………….
apneaman on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 10:02 pm
Don’t worry little planty, Obama is seeking help and by golly everything is gonna be ok. Except for that human extinction part.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/obama-seeks-psychological-help-with-climate-change/
michael on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 10:25 pm
There is a tiny problem, the problem of the states involved is not drought, not climate change it is to many people for the available water supply. California could desalinate all its urban water, the other states would have to build pipelines to bring in the water at great cost. The IPCC latest report says increased temperatures will increase rainfall. The authors of this article and the study make an unsupported assumption that warming is all bad.
BC on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 10:32 pm
Global warming is to blame for Obummer/Obomba (and Dubya, Slick, and the rest). 😀
But seriously, folks, the convergence of the Gleissburg and Suess/de Vries cycles that previously occurred in the late 18th century to mid-19th century, late 16th century to the Maunder Minimum, and late 14th century to early 15th century imply a period of mid-latitude cooling and mega-drought for at least the next 20-30 years, i.e., 2-3 Schwab cycles.
This is the same cyclical phenomenon that coincided with the end of the Maya and Anasazi/Pueblo civilizations.
But the world population was 1-1.5B and no fossil fuel civilization the last time we experienced a convergence of the aforementioned cycles.
As such, I expect a mass out-migration from the US Southwest, Palm Desert, SoCal, “Lost Wages”, and Sonoran Desert in the next 10-30 years.
The question is Where will they go? Most likely the Southeast and PacNW; however, the latter is also facing a protracted drought with ~30-35 in. of annual precipitation, which is less than the Southeast and most of the East Coast and parts of Appalachia and the Ohia and Mis’ipi Valleys.
Therefore, migrants from the Southwest are better off returning from whence most of them came rather than the already overpopulated, water-constrained PacNW and northern Mountain region.
Go EAST and NORTH or SOUTHEAST old men and women (and non-gender-specific) snowbirds!!! 😀
apneaman on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 11:10 pm
And there was only 280 PPM CO2.
user2015 on Thu, 17th Sep 2015 11:26 pm
The Models say that paying more Taxes is the only way to avert the Disasters.
GregT on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 1:25 am
“The Models say that paying more Taxes is the only way to avert the Disasters.”
If you believe that, then double up on your Taxes, and everything will be alright. For those that have a half a brain, now would be a very good time to make a move. The current disasters aren’t going to get better as time goes on.
aidan harrison on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 1:34 am
Oh dear. Bearing in mind that the Syrian crisis had its roots in the 2006 -11 drought, does this mean we are going to see millions of American migrants in rickety boats coming ashore in Europe?
GregT on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 2:16 am
“does this mean we are going to see millions of American migrants in rickety boats coming ashore in Europe?”
Most assuredly not. The Europeans will be migrating to Russia, while the Americans migrate to North Eastern Canada. Unfortunately for everyone, the models predict the die-off to be biggest in the northern hemisphere, at first, the southern hemisphere is expected to follow within about ten years. Give or take.
Makati1 on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 2:55 am
GregT, then the “exceptional” migrants have a few choices:
1. Deep South America (Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, & Chile) … Do you speak Portuguese or Spanish? BTW, the Amazon jungle is already drying up.
2. South Africa … lol.
3. Australia … Having their own drought and financial problems.
4. New Zealand … The 1%ers are flocking to that volcanic Eden. If your net is not over $5M, don’t bother to try.
And, try getting to those havens with more than $10K in cash and you will be stopped by the Gestapo before you land. In fact, you may be stopped by the local Gestapo and your $10K confiscated as “suspected drug money” before you even get to the airport. Ain’t the US wonderful? LMAO
kiwichick on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 5:47 am
New Zealand has had record net migration (incoming as Radar would have said ) I the last 12 months
approx. 50,000
total current population of NZ approx. 4.5 million
so over 1 % of total population as incoming migrants ; many are NZ citizens returning home
1 % of USA population would be approx. 3 million
Makati1 on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 6:30 am
kiwichick, the 1% was just shorthand for the elite bailing out of the failing US. Not real numbers. But two small, rocky, mountainous islands that imports necessities such as: Machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textile & plastics does not seem like a good choice. What does it offer besides a scenic location?
Fat Lady on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 8:01 am
Certainly looks bad for the now.
Kenz300 on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 8:06 am
Maybe the Climate Change denying RepubliCON party needs be sent to the desert to repent for their lies……..
noobtube on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 10:09 am
So, does that mean the true world population problem is the American population?
Plantagenet on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 10:59 am
@jjhman
Your reading comprehension is very poor. I didn’t blame Obama fro global warming. I blamed Obama for his policies that have made global warming worse.
Get it now?
CHEERS!
shortonoil on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:11 am
What I am being told by people who live on the West Coast is that one of the biggest concerns of the locals there is the drying lakes. Many of these lakes have been absorbing toxic run off for the last 100 years; pesticides, heavy metals, petroleum wastes, and etc. Now that the lakes are going dry the dust in the bottom of these lakes is blowing all over the West Coast, taking their pollutants with them. Being at the end of the oil age, in a mega drought doesn’t look like it is going to be much fun. A gulp of good clean air may become as rare as a glass of water, or a gallon of oil?
GregT on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:32 am
@planter,
“Your reading comprehension is very poor. I didn’t blame Obama fro global warming. I blamed Obama for his policies that have made global warming worse.”
Your reading comprehension planter, is right up there with your comprehension of how the political system works. Non-existant.
BC on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:45 am
short, Mad Max and Elysium come to mind. Think the Latino drug cartels and gangs are bad now, wait until they take over the black market/underground economy in the Southwest, SoCal, and Central and Sacratomato Valleys in Californication.
Learn to speak uneducated Spanish, develop an affection for tattoos, and load up on firearms.
Rodster on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:49 am
Shortonoil says: “What I am being told by people who live on the West Coast is that one of the biggest concerns of the locals there is the drying lakes. Many of these lakes have been absorbing toxic run off for the last 100 years; pesticides, heavy metals, petroleum wastes, and etc. Now that the lakes are going dry the dust in the bottom of these lakes is blowing all over the West Coast, taking their pollutants with them. Being at the end of the oil age, in a mega drought doesn’t look like it is going to be much fun. A gulp of good clean air may become as rare as a glass of water, or a gallon of oil?”
—————————————–
Decades-Long “Megadrought” Looms For Entire US As Lake Powell Runs Dry, NASA Warns
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-17/decades-long-megadrought-looms-entire-us-lake-powell-runs-dry-nasa-warns
Plantagenet on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 1:03 pm
@GregT
You clearly don’t understand that Obama just opened the US Arctic Ocean to oil exploration.
The science is complex, so let me dumb this down to a level you may understand: More oil means more CO2 means more global warming.
I know you are math challenged, but perhaps you can at least understand the word “more”
CHEERS!
daveintex13 on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 1:23 pm
New Zealand is actually pretty large depending on how you define large and small. It only looks small on flat maps because of distortions from projecting a sphere. If the southern coast of NZ were aligned with the Georgia/Florida border in the U.S., the northern tip of NZ would sit on Niagara Falls. That’s ~900 miles. NZ would cover all of the piedmont regions of GA, SC, NC, VA, plus all of MD, NJ and DE.
GregT on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 1:30 pm
@planter
Let me dumb this down to a level even YOU should be able to understand (but obviously do not); Your jet setting around the world, means more demand for oil, which means further oil production, which means more CO2, which means more global warming.
I know that you are intellectually challenged, but that is no excuse for being a large part of the problem. Perhaps you could at least make an attempt at understanding the word “less”.
JuanP on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 2:30 pm
Daveintex13, New Zealand is 267,710 sq km. that is about 50% larger than the state of Missouri. I wouldn’t call it pretty large, but, like you said, it all depends on what you are comparing it, too. Compared to large countries like Russia, Canada, the USA, or China, it is a puny little thing. Compared to Liechtenstein, Monaco, or Montecarlo, it is a humongous beast.
According to the CIA factbook, it is the 76th largest country in the world, I would call it average sized. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html#nz
Davy on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 3:34 pm
Speaking of New Zealand. They make excellent electric fence chargers. I am installing one now. It is a Stafix X18i. What I like about it is its versatility. I can hook it up to a/c power, battery, and or solar.
BC on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 4:06 pm
Davy, don’t expect that fence to keep out the likes of Plant trying “to get your goat(s)”, that perpetually running skeleton without nerves or a brain. 😀
Plant, just kidding. I know you aren’t one with thin skin; that is, you have no skin, so no worries. 😀
BC on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 4:26 pm
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
Kiwiland imports 70% of oil consumption with available net oil exports world wide falling since 2005-08; but they produce domestically 100% of nat gas consumption and produce 54% of electricity consumption from hydro, so the Kiwis should fare better than most during the post-Oil Age descent.
However, at the current level and rate of growth of consumption of nat gas and proved reserves, they have no more than 6-7 years’ worth of consumption at current prices and production, but only 4-5 years’ worth per capita at the trend rate of population growth. Gulp!
So they’d better act soon to stem the inflow of migrants or their relatively favorable situation will not maintain per capita for very long.
P.S. At the level and rate of growth of consumption of oil and nat gas and proved reserves, the US has 4-5 years’ worth of oil and 11-12 years’ worth of nat gas, and 2-3 and 7-8 years’ worth per capita. But, as we know, a growing share of the “oil” production is unprofitable to produce and thus can’t be counted on in the next 2-3 to 7-8 years per capita.
apneaman on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 8:59 pm
Atlantic Ocean Excited To Move Into Beautiful Beachfront Mansion Soon
WEST PALM BEACH, FL—Admitting it has had its eye on the property for quite some time, the Atlantic Ocean confirmed Monday that it was looking forward to moving into a beautiful beachfront mansion in the near future. “For the longest time it seemed like this place was completely out of reach for me, but I’ve come a long way in the past few years, and now it’s looking more and more like a real possibility,” said the body of water, which confided that, after having admired the building’s impressive exterior and grounds for so long, it was thrilled at the prospect of finally going inside and exploring all eight bedrooms and 7,500 square feet of living area. “I’m not quite ready yet, but in a couple years or so, I can definitely see myself in there, making the place completely my own. And the little beachside community that the house is located in is just so cute, too—I can’t wait to go through and visit all the shops and restaurants.” The ocean noted, however, that it might make a few cosmetic changes to the mansion once it moves in, including gutting the lower floor and taking out a few walls.
fin
http://www.theonion.com/article/atlantic-ocean-excited-move-beautiful-beachfront-m-51303
Makati1 on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 9:59 pm
daveintex13, problem with NZ is location, location, location. It is not in the tropics and barely in the temperate zone of the South. About the same growing season as the northern part of the US.
Yes, the ocean tempers the climate as it does here in the Ps, but that doesn’t make it independent of the rest of the world. That same ocean will end international trade soon, and then what? Just askin’.
Not to mention the oil/NG time limits mentioned by BC.
Otherwise, it is a great vacation desitination in the land of the Hobbits.
apneaman on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:12 pm
Here’s How Insane This Year’s Fire Season Has Been
https://news.vice.com/article/heres-how-insane-this-years-fire-season-has-been?utm_source=vicenewstwitter
apneaman on Fri, 18th Sep 2015 11:20 pm
Indonesia arrests seven company executives for illegal forest fires
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/sep/18/indonesia-arrests-seven-company-executives-for-illegal-forest-fires
Rodster on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 2:37 am
“Over 700 Fukushima waste bags swept away by torrential floods. Extensive and destructive floods across eastern Japan have swept more than 700 bags containing Fukushima-contaminated soil and grass into Japan’s rivers, with many still unaccounted for and some spilling their radioactive content into the water system.
Authorities in the small city of Nikko in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture, some 175 km away from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, have said that at least 334 bags containing radioactive soil have been swept into a tributary of the Kinugawa river, The Asahi Shimbun reports.”
http://www.rt.com/news/315926-fukushima-radioactive-waste-bags/
Makati1 on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 5:42 am
Rodster, I bet they were located so that just that could happen. “I didn’t do it, Mother Nature did!”
Mike989 on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:36 am
More interesting is the MASSIVE posts of stupid by stupid people.
That’s amazing.
Tells you the quality of Zero Hedge.
Boat on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:51 am
PLANT,
Obama would have his carbon tax but for the Rep’s control the House and Senate along with a lot of other legislation. You got that?
GregT on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:57 am
“More interesting is the MASSIVE posts of stupid by stupid people.
That’s amazing.
Tells you the quality of Zero Hedge.”
No Mikey,
You can thank the stupid scientists from NASA and Cornell and Columbia universities. You know, the same stupid scientists that the really stupid people have been ignoring for close to half a century.
onlooker on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:59 am
@Rodster, thanks for that link. Yes to the proponents of nuclear this is result of wide-scale nuclear the inevitable contamination. Who knows in the future how many more meltdowns and accidents are going to happen on the downhill slope of civilization.
Davy on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 11:29 am
Greg, I thought Mikey was this Greenie cornucopian wonk who believes everything peachy if we would only convert the entire world from dirty carbon fossil fuels to AltE clean energy. That conversion is not explained of course by Mikey. I have asked him on a number of occasions to elaborate. We here know it is unrealistic because of scale with time, resources, and attitudes and AltE is still dirty.
Now he cuts down Zero Hedge for a very worth article on none other than global warming, drought, and their disrupting effects. I guess he must live out west and finds such a negative article as discomforting. What is it with these greenies anyway neither Mikey989 or Kenz300 will engage in conversation. That explains one thing they don’t have a clue how they are going to green the world but it sure sounds good.
JR on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:11 pm
Quality of the commentary here ranges from good to quite stupid. One of the reasons I rarely come here.
I’ve seen tons of perfectly good informative websites ruined by those that post in the comments.
Because there really are so very few GOOD websites these days, don’t some of you (idiots) think it matters? Do you really think getting in the last word is valuable to anyone else, or are you just stroking your ego (again)?
Some of you jerk-baits are simply wasted lives and you’re too stupid to even know it. You’re the ones who think your words are important and need to be posted.
Not so. White noise, and as useless as tits on a boar hog.
apneaman on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:20 pm
JR, thanks for popping by as the self proclaimed “Rotten Tomatoes” doomer site and commenters critic. Got a link to your personal super awesome web site so we can all get learned up on how it’s done?
onlooker on Sat, 19th Sep 2015 9:32 pm
So JR what make your words more important then any of ours. Oh I get it you have all the wisdom of the ages stored in your brain. Okay.
Davy on Sun, 20th Sep 2015 6:55 am
JR, We could give a shit about you and your agenda. How often do you contribute? Rarely. What do you know about shit from shinola anyway? We are not here to appease your intellect. Many of us are here daily dedicating a significant effort to keeping this board alive and vibrant.
It is work and dedication and we have achieve significant insight into doom and cornucopianism. Both are legitimate topics of discussion. Peak oil is the basis for this discussion but only one basis once one understands the implications of limits and systematic decline.
Most people could give a shit about the comment side of a site. They read the articles and surf on. JR if your panties are in a wad go over to the member side of PO dot com. That comment side is the civilized and respectful part of this site. We on the open side of PO dot com are the Wild West saloon where anything goes. This is good and bad. It is the combination of both sides that makes PO dot com a strong site.
Kenz300 on Sun, 20th Sep 2015 7:19 am
Every year the world adds 80 million more people to the earth…….
They all need water to drink…….
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