NOAA Drought Task Force Report on the 2020-2021 Southwestern U.S. Drought
Overview
Paper Summary
The 2020-21 drought in the U.S. Southwest saw record low precipitation and the third-highest temperatures since 1895. While natural climate variations were the primary driver, human-caused warming intensified the drought by increasing evaporation. The drought is expected to persist into 2022, possibly longer, especially as climate change continues to exacerbate future drought risk.
Explain Like I'm Five
The American Southwest had extremely low rainfall and high temperatures in 2020-2021, causing a major drought. Climate change likely made the drought's effects worse by increasing how much water evaporated from the land.
Possible Conflicts of Interest
None identified
Rating Explanation
This report provides a robust, data-driven analysis of the 2020-2021 Southwestern U.S. drought. It combines observations with climate model simulations to understand the causes and likely persistence of the drought. It effectively identifies the roles of natural variability and human-caused warming. While a scientific study, it is a summary of existing research, and thus no methodological limitations exist.
Good to know
This is the Starter analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.
Explore Pro →