Drought Links
Drought is a long period of abnormally low precipitation in a given area. Since some areas are always dry, drought severity is measured against the typical precipitation for a region. Drought can drastically affect crop growth and dry up precious drinking water. When severe, it can trigger mass movements of people in search of food and water.
Try this Planet Diary Drought Activity:
- Twentieth Century Droughts
Take a look at the Palmer Drought Severity Index to find out when and where the most severe droughts were in the United States over the past century.
National Drought Mitigation Center
This division of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration helps communities reduce their vulnerability to drought. It includes:
- What is Drought? explains the impact of drought and how it is measured.
- Monitoring Drought finds drought monitoring sites and drought headlines.
NOAA Drought Information Center
This is the place to begin for complete NOAA coverage of U.S. and global drought information.
Earth Observatory Drought Monitoring
NASA'S Earth Observatory provides current drought satellite images and reports.
Extreme Weather and Climate Events
The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) offers frequently updated information on drought and other global climate extremes.
Drought Monitoring and Early Warning
This site tracks global drought trouble spots.
Understanding Past Droughts from Tree Rings
Trees don't grow well during droughts, a fact recorded in their annual growth rings. Scroll down this page to see America's drought history from 1700 to 1950. You can also see movies of drought-affected areas of America, and the tree-ring data used to create these maps.
Climate Visualization (CLIMVIS)
WOW! Get colorful maps of U.S. and global temperatures, precipitation, windspeed, and more from this amazing site. It's not up to the minute, but some of the data from the National Climatic Data Center goes back to the 1940s!
Animated Indicator Maps for U.S. Drought Monitor
View a variety of animated maps of recent drought conditions, courtesy NCDC.
Vegetation Greenness Maps
Get colorful maps of the "greenness" of the United States for the week. It would be interesting to sample this site once a season to see how it changes throughout the year.
Hydrologic Information Center: Drought
Which areas are currently experiencing drought? What is the outlook for relief? Find out from the National Weather Service.
