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:

• Drought in Your State
  Take a look at the Palmer Drought Severity Index to find out how drought has affected your state over the past century.

U.S. Drought Monitor
See what drought conditions look like today across the United States.

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.

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.

Understanding 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 Data Online
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.

Hydrologic Information Center: Drought
Which areas are currently experiencing drought? What is the outlook for relief? Find out from the National Weather Service.