Global Warming - So What?
A Library about Climate Change
Water
Below are files - articles mostly - about water, arranged in 6 major groups: Oceans, Groundwater, Hurricanes, Lakes, Rivers, and Air. Articles about ice occupy a separate page.
Before the library of articles is introductory material - (1) biologically active areas of the ocean, (2) fresh water USE, (3) historically "recent" precipitation, and projected future precipitation (4) worldwide and (5) for the USA.
Month and year follow each article's name. PDF files are so marked, after month and date, some with authors noted. Within sections, more recent files appear above older files.
Diagrams are generally immediately below the summary articles from which they were taken.
Photosynthesis in algae (plankton) is the foundation of the ocean's food web and the source of much of our air's oxygen. Below are maps with some estimates of how much oceanic chlorophyll is where.
In the 1st map, blue is the lowest concentration, red the highest. The 2nd & 3rd (black & white) maps show concentrations averaged over 1978-86, in mg of chlorophyll per cubic meter of seawater for the Pacific Ocean. The left map is for summer (JJA in North, DJF in South), the right one for winter.
from www.eeb.ucla.edu/test/faculty/nezlin/PrimaryProduction.htm
Note the Pacific's biological deserts at low latitudes, especially in summer, and the high productivity along the northern coasts. The color graph above shows a similar story for the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, except off the coasts of Argentina, western south Africa, Arabia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. In the top map, note the hotspots at the mouths of the Amazon, Paraná, Congo, St. Lawrence, Danube, Yellow, Amur, and Yukon Rivers.
To summarize, biological activity in the ocean is highest (1) in cold water, (2) near coasts, and (3) near river mouths.
Water Resources Fact Sheet 0714
US Fresh Water Use 
includes surface & underground water.
from draft 2013 US National Climate Assessment.
From this graph, total US use in 2005 was ~445 GigaTonnes (445 cu km). Consumptive use was ~132. That's ~1,500 cubic meters per person per year (1,125 gallons per person per day).
Of that, household hot water use was 20-25 gallons per person and household cold water use a bit more.
The big users were agriculure and cooling power plants fired by coal, gas, and uranium. Thermal power plants accounted for 41% of fresh water use, while agriculture acounted for 40% (37% for irrigation). Industry and mining accounted for 6%. (Thermal power plants also used 58 billion gallons per day of salt water for cooling, 40% as much as the fresh water they used.)
Warming Intensifies Water Cycle, IPCC Warns, for More Intense Storms & Floods 0821
Water Resources to Become Less Predictable with Climate Change 0722 - With warming, more preipitatuion falls as rain ande less as snow. Also, snow melts earlier in the spring, leaving less or none for summer.
Why Climate Change Matters - Water 0516
California Water Conservation Saved Energy, Cut Greenhouse Gases 0616
Humans Are Using Up Far More of Earth’s Water than Previously Thought 1215
Acid Ocean - Hot & Breathless - UNESCO 1113 - PDF, 26 pp
Global Majority Faces Water Shortages within 2 Generations 0513
World Faces Water Crisis, as Global Warming Upsets Delicate Balance 0306
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Recent Precipitation
Precipitation Trends, 1950-2008 (from Dai)
With Climate Change, Smaller Storms Are Growing More Fearsome, More Often 0923
Record New York City Rain Sent Deadly Floods, Overwhelming Streets, Subways 0923
Why Rain Is Getting Fiercer on a Warming Planet 0923
5,200+ Dead and 10,000 Missing after Unprecedented Flash Floods in Libya 0923
Hong Kong Paralyzed by Flash Flooding after Heaviest Rainfall on Record 0923 - 20 inches (500 mm) in 24 hours
What Caused Tropical Storm Hilary's Record-Breaking Rainfall 0823
Beijing’s Deadly Storms Brought Heaviest Rainfall on Record 0823
‘Biblical Proportions’ - 3 Months’ Worth of Rainfall Floods Nova Scotia 0723
S. Korea Downpour Leaves 40 Dead, So President Yoon Visits Damaged Areas 0723
2 Weeks of Record Monsoon Rains Have Killed over 100 People in North India 0723
Heavy Rainfall and Flooding Hit US Northeast 0723
Wettest New Delhi July Day in 41 Years Triggers Deadly Floods in North India 0723
Extreme Floods Are Occurring Way More Often than US Federal Data Suggests 0623
Heavy Rains Threaten China’s Wheat Supply for Buns and Noodles 0523
Congo Flood Survivors Mourn Lost Relatives as Death Toll Rises above 400 - 0523
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Floods after Historic 1-in-1000 Year Rainfall Event 0423 - 14 to 20 inches in 24 hours
Flooding and Landslides Kill Dozens in Brazil’s São Paulo State 0223
Floods Devastate Philippines, Fuel Concerns over Extreme Weather 0123
How Climate Change Will Make Atmospheric Rivers Even Worse 0123
California Is Being Inundated with Rain. Will It Ease the Drought? 0123
Northern California Sees Historic Deluge, as Atmospheric River Slams State 0123
At Least 141 Die in Congo as Floods and Landslides Hit Capital 1222
Climate Change Is Bringing More Intense Rains to U.S. 1022
Nigeria Battles Worst Floods in Years; 300 Killed in 2022 - 0922
China's Drought-Hit Areas Get Rain, Bringing Flood Risks 0822
1/3 of Pakistan Could Soon Be under Water 0822
Pakistan Declares Floods a ‘Climate Catastrophe’ as Death Toll Tops 1,000 - 0822
Five 1,000-Year Rain Events Have Struck the U.S. in 5 Weeks. Why? 0822 - Once in 1,000 Years odds are in a STABLE climate, based on histroical weather records. The climate is very far from stable and history is no longer a good guide to the future.
Dallas Area Hit by 1-in-1,000-Year Flood 0822
A ‘Mega-Flood’ in California Could Drop 100 inches of Rain 0822
Climate Crisis Is Fueling the Barrage in America’s Summer of Floods 0822
Seoul Sees “2 Months” of Rain in Half a Day, Killing at Least 8 - 0822
Flash Floods Kill 550 in Pakistan, in Heaviest Rains in Decades 0822
Water Resources to Become Less Predictable with Climate Change 0722
How Two 1-in-1,000 Year Rain Events Hit the U.S. in 2 Days 0722
Flash Floods Swamp St. Louis Area, Breaking a Century-Old Rain Record 0722
Extreme Rainfall Will Be Worse, More Frequent than We Thought 0722
Climate Change Is a Factor in 'Unprecedented' South Asia Floods 0622
Atmospheric River That Ravaged Yellowstone Is Part of Climate Change Pattern 0622
Millions Displaced and Dozens Dead in Flooding in India and Bangladesh 0522
Rains Drive Biggest South African Locust Infestation in Decades 0422
Extreme Rainfall Hits New Zealand and Brazil 0322
Climate Change Is Intensifying Earth’s Water Cycle at Twice the Predicted Rate 0222
Covid Shutdown Linked to Record Rainfall in China 0222 - Less coal burned, so less cooling sulfate aerosols.
South Africa’s Heaviest Rain on Record Causes Destructive Floods 0122
Excessively Wet Year in Eastern U.S. Shows Climate Change Fingerprints 1221
Pacific Storm Whips Hawaii with Rain and Snow, Causing Floods 1221
Ever Rainy Seattle Breaks Its Fall Rain Record, after Summer of Extreme Heat 1221
Record Rainfall Prompts Evacuations in B.C. and US Northwest 1121
Atmospheric River Unleashes Record-Setting Rain, Flooding in California 1021 - 4, 5, and 6 inches in 24 hours
Below is an interesting diagram about flying rivers, probably also known as atmospheric rivers. I don’t know the source.
With a Warming Climate, Coastal Fog Around the World Is Declining 1021 - Not just California coastal redwoods, but Atacama and Namib Deserts.
Deluge in Northwest Italy Sets European Record - 29 Inches in 12 Hours 1021
Climate Change’s ‘Fingerprint’ Seen in Ida Flooding 0921
New York City Region's Historic Floods Send Deadly Climate Change Lesson 0921 - 3.15 inches of rain in 1 hour in Central Park and 3.24 inches at Newark airport. 8.41 inches in 24 hours at Newark.
A 2° Difference - Climate Change Leading to More Extreme Rain Events 0821
Tennessee Floods Show Pressing Climate Danger across USA - Walls of Water 0821
Climate Change Made Heavy Rains in Europe, for German Floods, More Likely 0821
Is It Raining Harder? Here's What These LSU Researchers Found. 0821
Record Low Rain Year in California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada 2nd, New Mexico 3rd - 0621
8 Inches in 1 Hour - How a Deadly Downpour Flooded Zhengzhou, China 0721 - 24 inches in 24 hours! Annual average there is 25.4 inches.
Why It Won't Stop Raining in the New Orleans Area 0721 - The warmer air holds more water. More rain overtaxes the pumps.
Human Activity Influencing Global Rainfall 0721
Global Warming’s Extreme Rains Threaten Hawaii’s Coral Reefs 0421
Global Warming Is Intensifying Extreme Rainstorms over North America 0620
Chicago Breaks May Rainfall Record for 3rd Year in a Row 0520
Climate Concerns Grow amid UK’s Wettest February on Record 0320
Flash Floods in Indonesia Leave 100s of 1,000s Homeless 0120
Global Heating Is Supercharging the Indian Ocean Climate System 1119
As the Monsoon and Climate Shift, India Faces Worsening Floods 0919
3rd Round of Flooding in 2019 Likely along Missouri River 0919
May Was the 2nd-Wettest Month in the U.S. since 1895 - 0619
Climate Change Fills Hurricanes with More Rain, Analysis Shows 0719
Wettest 12 Months in US Record Left It Drought-Free. But Flooding Is Rampant 0519
India's Devastating Rains Match Climate Change Forecasts 0818
Japan’s Death Toll from Record Rain Rises as PM Warns of 'Race against Time’ 0718
Immense Rains Are Causing More Flash Flooding, and It’s Getting Worse 0618
5,000-Mile-Long River in the Sky Brings Heavy Rain & Snow to Pacific Northwest 1017
Houston Fears Catastrophic Flooding from Climate Change - 'It's Not If, It's When.’ 0617
Extreme Precipitation Events Have Risen Sharply in Northeast U.S. Since 1996 - 0517
Rising Waters Threaten China’s Rising Cities 0417
Global Warming Is Increasing Rainfall Rates 0317
California Levee System Battered by Record Rainfall from 'Atmospheric River' 0217
Louisiana Flood of 2016 Resulted from '1,000-Year' Rain in 2 Days 0816
Climate Change Warming Asian Waters, Altering Monsoon 0716
Flooding In Europe. Texas Suffers 500-Year Flood for 2nd Year in a Row. 0616
Sierra Nevada Snow Won’t End California’s Thirst 0416
Meltdown - More Rain, Less Snow as the World Warms 0416
Yukon to Feel Impacts of Climate Change 0216
Downpours over Land Have Slowed Sea Level Rise 0216
December 2015 Was the Wettest Month Ever Recorded in UK 0116 - also hottest.
Full year was 2nd hottest, 6th wettest.
Floods of Biblical Proportions Leave British Cities and Villages under Water 1215
What Historic South Carolina Floods Can, & Can’t, Tell Us about Climate Change 1015
Heavier Rains Mean More Toxic Blooms for Lake Erie 0715
Torrential Rains Increasing in Warming World 0715
Warming Indian Ocean Weakens India’s Monsoon 0615 10-20% from 1901 to 2012, from the south of Pakistan
to Bangladesh, especially in central India: the Ganges-Brahmaputra basins & Himalayan foothills
Flooding Risk Rises with Global Warming 0615
Rhode Island’s Annual Precipitation Rose by a Foot in 100 Years 0515
Tropical Rainfall on the Rise, as Big Storm Events Increase 0315
Climate Change in Minnesota - More Heat, More Big Storms 0215
Higher Pacific Temperatures Bring Monsoons to Southland 0814
How Australia's Big Wet Befuddled Scientists 0813
Rain - Sign of the Times in Philadelphia? 0613
Record Rain in Argentina Is Sign of Things to Come 0413
Heavier Rainfall in Midwest from Warming 0313
Intense Rains in US Midwest Doubled Since 1960 - 0512
Earth's Water Cycle is Changing Rapidly 1010
When It Rains, It Pours 1207 - PDF, 48 pp
Future Precipitation
(from US National Climate Assessment) World (from US National Climate Assessment)
2071-2099 Average, Less 1971-2000 Average - for 2 RCPs
Also, areas toward the poles get wetter, as water and ice there warm, increasing evaporation.
also High Emissions Pathway
(Cross-hatching means high agreement among the models used.)
Climate Change May Reduce Soil’s Ability to Absorb Water – a Key Store of CO2 - 0919 - more root mass, fewer soil pores
Why Fresh Water Shortages Will Cause the Next Great Global Crisis 0315
Tropical Deforestation Could Disrupt Rainfall Globally 1214
Intense Thunderstorms More Likely to Batter a Warming World 0613
Earth's Water Cycle is Changing Rapidly 1010
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
US
High Emission Pathway (RCP 8.5)
The Figures below, about US precipitation observed, are from the draft 2013 US National Climate Assessment.
% change for 1991-2011 average, compared to 1901-60 average
These are changes in the amount of precipitation falling in very heavy events (the heaviest 1% of all daily events) from 1958 to 2011 for each region.
The 4 seasonal maps just below are for a high emissions case. The 4 farther below are for a low emissions case.
Monsoon Storms to Recharge Southwest Groundwater May Become Rarer 0918
Rising Seas, Storm Surge, Rain Raise Severe Flooding Risk in Biggest US Cities 0715
Across the U.S., Heaviest Downpours on the Rise 0515
Rhode Island’s Annual Precipitation Rose by a Foot in 100 Years 0515
Sierra Nevada Snowpack Hits Historic Low 0315
Climate Change in Minnesota - More Heat, More Big Storms 0215
Higher Pacific Temperatures Bring Monsoons to Southland 0814
Rain - Sign of the Times in Philadelphia? 0613
Megastorms Could Drown Much of California (More Often) 1112
Hawaii Will Get Less Rain Due To Global Warming 0413
Earth's Water Cycle is Changing Rapidly 1010
US 20-Year Rain & Heat Events to Become 8- & 3-Year Events 0608
When It Rains, It Pours 1207 - PDF, 48 pp
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Sea Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Oceans - Heat Gain
Why Our Oceans Being the Warmest in Recorded History Is So Concerning 0823
Marine life struggles with heat, its resulting oxygen loss, and acidification. Coral is especially hard hit. It also, via the warming-melting effects on Greenland and Antarctic ice, slows down Atlantic Ocean circulation, especially the AMOC and Gulf Stream. They may collapse by mid-century, slowly and possibly as soon as 2025. The warming also melts sea ice, a major feedback that further accelerates global warming.
Global Ocean Temperatures Soared to a Record High This Week 0823
The Atlantification of the Arctic Ocean Is Underway 0623
The World’s Oceans Shattered Heat Records in April and May 0623
North Atlantic Temperature Anomaly Sparks Concern among Climate Scientists 0623
Arctic Climate Modeling Too Conservative, Says New Research 0323
This Extraordinary Marine Heat Wave Could Threaten Antarctica’s Ice Shelves 0223
What Sub-Arctic Seas Influencing the Arctic Ocean Says about Climate Change 0720
Deep Ocean Will Be Warming Rapidly by 2050, Even if Global Emissions Decline 0520
Inside Australia's Climate Emergency - Tasmania’s Dead Sea 0220
An Ocean of Evidence on Warming Is Our Cue to Take Action - Now 0119
Warm Water under Arctic Ice Is a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ 0818
Climate Change Has Doubled the Frequency of Ocean Heat Waves 0818
Antarctic Ocean Discovery Warns of Faster Global Warming 0618
'Concerning' - Marine Heat Waves Increasing, Especially near Australia 0418
Oceans Are Warming Rapidly, New Study Confirms 0617
Climate Change Is Literally Turning the Arctic Ocean Upside Down 0417 - warm salty water below, fresh icy water above
The Arctic Is Warm Again Because of Course It Is 0317
Open Water near North Pole Is a Sign of a Rapidly Warming Arctic 0916
Soaring Ocean Temperature Is ‘Greatest Hidden Challenge of Our Generation' 0916
Southern Ocean Is Getting Less Salty. What That Means for the Rest of Earth 0816
The Blob - How Marine Heat Waves Are Causing Unprecedented Climate Chaos 0816
The Biggest Body of Warm Water on Earth Is Getting Even Bigger 0716
Warmer Indian Ocean Could Be 'Ecological Desert', Scientists Warn 0116
The Oceans Are Heating Up Faster than We Thought. Why That Matters. 0116
Concerns Deepen about a Climate-Change ‘Wild Card’ 0915
Global Warming Is Reversing 1,800 Years of Natural Ocean Cooling 0815
Heat is Piling Up in the Depths of the Indian Ocean 0515
Going with the Flow - Scientists Probe Changes in the East Australian Current 0515
The Gulf Stream System May Already Be Weakening. That's Not Good. 0315
Deep Mystery - Are the Seas Warming or Cooling? 1014 - As the 2 scientific studies (Durack and JPL), also summarized in the 3 perspectives below, state - for ocean warming below 2,000 meters deep, the warming signal did not rise above the noise. But for ocean above 2,000 meters, the warming was very substantial. In fact, it found more warming there (1/4 to 1/2) than previous recent studies did - with the difference concentrated in the Southern hemisphere.
This means we have seriously underestimated the amount of warming that has occurred in recent years.
Ocean Warming Understimated - 3 Perspectives 1014
Greenland Sea Has Warmed 10 x Faster Than Global Ocean 1113
Global Ocean Heat Content - WEB
Global Ocean Heat Content 0413 - PDF
West Australian Coastal Waters Gripped by Marine Heat Wave 1212
Ocean Heat Gain Since 1993 (summary #1) 0510
Ocean Warming 1993-2008 (summary #2) 0510
Oceans Warmed 50% Faster Than Expected 0608
Warming Deep Seas 0606 - PPT
Ocean Warming - Levitus 0105 - PDF
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Oceans - Sea Level Rise - Past
Sea level has varied greatly over the course of geological history, from perhaps 400 feet higher than today to ~ 420 feet lower than today. (Levels far higher than today, very long ago, were augmented by different vertical distribution of land mass, due to many-million year plate tectonic movements.) Sea level since 35 million years ago has been no more than 240 feet higher than today, but sea level was 400 feet lower than today as recently as 20,000 years ago.
Worldwide, sea level has risen perhaps 1 inch per century in the last 3,000 years, but perhaps 2 inches per century in the 3,000 years before that. Local sea level rise varies modestly from the global average - depending on land subsidence, any glacial rebound, and uplift from tectonic plate movements. Global sea level rose 8 inches during the 20th century.
In 2011 sea level rise was 13 inches per century. About 1/2 of that is due to thermal expansion of warmer water. Melting ice in Greenland and Antarctia contributes almost ~1/4. ~1/4 comes from glaciers in Asia, North America, Europe, and elsewhere. ~1/20 comes from mined groundwater.
From 15,000 to 8,000 years ago, seas rose 1.5 meters (5 feet) per century, 4.5 times today's rate, including 4 meters (14 feet) per century for one 700-year period.
Over the past half million years, as shown below, sea level changes have followed changes in atmospheric CO2 (and CH4) pretty closely. The difference between minima and maxima was just over 100 meters, or 340 feet, perhaps even 400.
During Meltwater Pulse 1A, sea level rose 4+ meters per century, for 7 centuries.
The Best and Worst Case Scenarios for Sea Level Rise 0623
Pace of Global Sea Level Rise Has Doubled 0523
Seas Have Risen Drastically along Southern U.S. Coast in Past Decade 0423
Warming Seas Carving into Massive Antarctic Glacier Could Trigger Rising Seas 0223
Clue to Rising Sea Levels Lies in DNA of Ancient Octopus 0223
Sea Level Rise Acceleration 0922 - Rate doubled in last 20 years.
China's Sea Levels Touched New High in 2021 - 0522
Antarctic Ice Shelves Are Shattering. How Fast Will Seas Rise? 0322
Inland Mangroves Reveal a Tumultuous Climatic Past and Hint at Our Future 1021
Mediterranean Sea Is Heating 20% Faster than World’s Oceans - WWF 0621
Sea Level Is Rising at Fastest Rate in at Least 2,000 Years 0321
If sea level rise continues accelerating at the pace shown at right up till 2023, seas could rise ~3.5 meters by 2100.
Sea Level Rise from Greenland, Antarctica Ice Melt Matches Worst-Case Scenario 0920
Ancient History of East Antarctic Ice Has Unsettling News for Sea Level Rise 0720
A Puzzling Past Sea Level Rise Might Have Its Missing Piece 0420 - sediments ananlysis indicates melting took place mostly in the ice sheet between Scandinavia and Svalbard, plus some north of Zfinalnd-Karelia.
CO2 Levels at Highest for 3 Million Years – When Seas Were 20 Meters Higher 0419 - take 1 on study
The Last Time CO2 Levels Were This High, Trees Grew at the South Pole 0419 - take 2
Today’s Earth Looks like It Did 115,000 Years Ago, except Massive Sea Level Rise 0219
Study Suggests the Ocean Could Rise More, and Faster, than We Thought 1017
Sea Level Rise Is Accelerating in Florida, Scientists Warn 0717
Sea Level Rise Is Accelerating, with Greenland in Leading Role 0617
Pace of Sea Level Rise Has Nearly Tripled since 1990 - 0517 - Pace had been overestimated for 20th century.
China Blames Climate Change for Record Sea Levels 0317
Ancient Warm Period Hints at Bigger-than-Expected Sea Level Rise 0117
6 to 9 meters higher than today, at same temperature as today, 125,000 years ago
Antarctic Past Points to Sea Level Threat 0117 - 3 meter rise 14,700 years ago
Methane May Not Last Long in the Air, but It Drives Sea Level Rise for Centuries 0117 - as does CO2
Volcanic Eruptions Masked True Effects of Climate Change on Sea Levels 0816
Better Models of Antarctic Ice Collapse Show Much Faster Sea Level Rise 0416
'Dire Prediction' on Melting Antarctic Ice Sheets and Rising Sea Levels 0416
Climate Forecasts Underestimate Sea-Level-Rise Impact of Antarctic Thaw 0316
Ice Melt Could Make Seas Rise 6 Feet by 2100 - 0316
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316
Sea Level Rise? Can We Pump Quadrillions of Tons of Seawater 2 Miles High? 0316
Preparing for the Inevitable Sea-Level Rise 0216
20th Century Sea Level Rise Was Fastest in at Least Last 2,700 Years 0216
Downpours over Land Have Slowed Sea Level Rise 0216
Groundwater Depletion Adding to Global Sea-Level Rise 1215
Rising Sea Levels More Dangerous than Thought - NASA 0815 rising faster / sooner than IPCC said
A New Climate-Change Danger Zone? 0715 - ice loss doubling, + slow down & stop ocean circulation
James Hansen Is Getting the Cold Shoulder 0715 - reaction to Hansen study
Prediction of Rapid Sea Level Rise Won’t Change Global Climate Talks 0715 - impact of Hansen study
James Hansen Just Outlined an Alarming Scenario for Our Planet’s Future 0715 - ice loss keeps doubling for years
Ice melt, sea level rise & superstorms - paleoclimate data, climate modeling & modern observations show 2°C global warming is highly dangerous - Hansen et al. 0715 - PDF, 121 pp - multi-meter sea level rise, etc. by 2100 to 2200
Sea Levels Could Rise At Least 20 Feet 0715 - take 1 on study of sea level rise 3, 0.4 and 0.12 million years ago.
not Hansen
Why Earth’s Past Has Scientists So Worried about Sea Level Rise 0715 - take 2. Action in Greenland & Antarctica
Sea-Level Rise Accelerating, as Earth's Ice Sheets Melt 0515
Obama’s Trip to Florida Everglades Is a Shrewd Move in Climate Debate 0415
Antarctica's Retreating Ice May Re-Shape Earth 0215
Sea Levels in Northeast Jumped 5 Inches in Just 2 Years 0215
Acceleration in Sea-Level Rise ‘Steeper’ 0115
Sea Level Rise over Past Century Unmatched in 6,000 Years 1014
Note: Atlantic Ocean relative to North Carolina only. North Carolina coast may have subsided.
1980 1990 2000 2010
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Sea Level - Future
At first glance, sea level might rise 65-73 meters (214-240 feet). 61-69 meters come from melting ice: 5-7.5 from Greenland and 3.3-6 from West Antarctica, ~0.5 meters from "mountain" glaciers, and 52-66 from East Antarctica. (While Wikipedia estimates that Antarctic ice has 70 meters of sea level rise equivalent (SLRE) in water, the USGS in 2013 cut its estimate from 73 to 55.3 meters SLRE, according to Phil Blum at www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/11/map-sea-level-rise-probably-wrong-its-too-optimistic/71246/?goback=%2Egde_119460_member_5803866787263037442#%21.
4-8 meters comes from sea water's thermal expansion. Warming the world ocean by 5°C would raise sea level perhaps 4 meters, while 10°C (which prevailed 130-40 million years ago) would raise it 8 meters. Warming the entire ocean by 5°C would take ~ 2,500 years, at the current heating and expansion rate of 1.6 mm/year. But it would take less as heating speeds up, with more CO2 in the air.
However, based on past sea levels over 60 million years, the upper bound on sea level rise is ~75 meters. Almost enough to make Memphis a seaport. Burlington and Brattleboro, in Vermont, might become seaports. 98% of New York City would lie beneath the waves.
The life expectancy for Greenland's ice, based on 1992-2011 ice loss rates, is ~11,000 years. For West Antarctica, ~29,000 years. But ice loss rates have continued accelerating. (Greenland's rate recently rose 7-fold in 17 years, Antarctica’s doubled in 4.)
Until about 2010, East Antarctica was gaining ice, but more slowly than West Antarctica is losing ice. More recent data suggest East Antarctica (on the whole, some areas gain, others lose) is losing ice, but the amount is smaller than the uncertainty band. That is, its % net annual volume change is modest compared to the “noise”. Modeling suggests that melting all of East Antarctica's ice could take several million years. But studies of East Antarctic glaciers show that, in recent decades, they receded when temperatures there warmed (Stokes 2013). Morever, when atmospheric CO2 levels were this high (almost 400 ppm) 4 million years ago (and slightly higher 15-20 million years ago), much higher sea levels indicate that East Antarctica lost 10-40% of its ice (6 to 23 meters of SLRE). The question is how FAST its ice melts.
Since the last glacial maximum, sea level rise rates from melting ice peaked at 4 meters per century 14-15,000 years ago (during Meltwater Pulse 1A), or 1+ inch per year. Temperatures now are rising 30 time as fast as then, but only 1/3 as much ice is left. It remains to be seen how fast sea level will rise this time. But sea level rise will accelerate from current levels. 1 inch/year is a reasonable, if high, estimate by 2100: just below the 1.1 inch/year upper bound for 2050-2100 in the draft 2013 US National Climate Assessment (next graph).
Sea level might rise 5 feet (60 inches) or more by 2100. See city sea level rise maps below. A 12-foot rise might well happen by 2200. A 25-foot rise appears unlikely till after 2300. But the uncertainty is large. The dates depend on our emissions and Mother Nature's, plus our success in removing carbon from the air (with some help from Mother Nature). Our knowledge about the dates also depends on how well we understand ice loss dynamics from Greenland and Antarctica. We are learning that our models have underestimated some rates and failed to acount for, or inadequately accounted for, some ice dynamics. (See Ice Dynamics section on Ice page.)
Antarctica Warming Much Faster than Predicted Is Deeply Worrying for Sea Level 0923
Greenland Glacier Discovery Shows Sea Level Projections Are Too Low 0523
Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets Are Melting Rapidly, Driving Sea Level Rise 0423
Acceleration of Global Sea Level Rise Imminent past 1.8°C - 0223
Greenland Ice Sheet Set to Raise Sea Levels by Nearly 1 Foot 0822
US Sea Level to Rise as Much in the Next 30 Years as in the Past 100 - Study 0222 - take 2 on study
Coastal Sea Levels in U.S. to Rise a Foot by 2050, Study Confirms 0222 - take 1 on study
Mediterranean Sea Is Heating 20% Faster than World’s Oceans - WWF 0621
Scientists Still Struggle to Pin Down Sea Level Risks Posed by Antarctica 0521 - One study’s ensemble of many models found a median Antarctica SLR contribution of 1.5 incles by 2100, as much snow was added to East Antarctica. But the stiudy by DeConto el al., including marine ice-cliff instability, found up to 17 inches of SLR from Antarctica by 2100.
Sea Levels Will Rise Faster than Expected, Warns New Study 0221
Sea Level Rise from Greenland, Antarctica Ice Melt Matches Worst-Case Scenario 0920
Sea Levels Could Rise More than a Meter by 2100, Experts Say 0520 - survey of 106 scientists who published at least 6 peer--reviewed papers on the subject in major academic journals
By 2100, Melting from Greenland Alone Could Raise Sea Level 3 or 4 Feet 0819
Can Trillion-Ton Snow Cannons Save Us from Sea-Level Rise? 0719
Rise in Global Sea Levels Could Have ‘Profound Consequences' 0519
Tampa Bay Leaders Should Prepare for Seas to Rise Up to 8.5 Feet by 2100 - 0519
Studies Shed New Light on Antarctica’s Future Contribution to Sea Level Rise 0219
Maryland Sea Level to Rise 1.2 to 4.2 feet by 2100 - 0119
At This Rate, Earth Risks 20 to 30 Feet Higher Seas, Historical Analysis Shows 0918
Geo-Engineer Polar Glaciers to Slow Sea-Level Rise 0318
Actions Today Will Decide Antarctic Ice Sheet Loss and Sea Level Rise 0318
Seas to Rise about 1 Meter, if Climate Goals Are Met, + 20 cm per 5-Year Delay 0218
Sea Level Rise Is Accelerating - 4 Inches Per Decade (or More) by 2100 - 0218
Major Trend of More Snowfall Seen in Antarctica Could Counter Sea Level Rise 0118
Seas May Rise 8 Feet by 2100, Inundating Land That's Home to 236 Million 1217 below, 1250 cm = about 41 feet, while 130 cm = a bit over 4 feet.
Ice Apocalypse 1117 - summary by a leading ice scientist
Study Suggests the Ocean Could Rise More, and Faster, than We Thought 1017
Sea Level Rise Is Accelerating in Florida, Scientists Warn 0717
Rare US Floods to Become the Norm if Emissions Aren't Cut 0617
Scientists Keep Increasing Projections of Sea-Level Increase by 2100 - 0417
Sea Level Rise Could Send U.S. ‘Climate Migrants' Fleeing to Austin, Atlanta 0417
Final Obama Climate Reports Projects Seas to Rise 1 to 8 Feet by 2100 - 0117
New Orleans Will See One of the Highest Sea Level Rises in the World 1116
What It Means for Sea Level When 2 Huge Antarctic Glaciers Are Unstable 1016
Scientists May Have Solved Key Riddle about Antarctica. It’s Bad News. 0916 - another DeConto-Pollard study
Better Models of Antarctic Ice Collapse Show Much Faster Sea Level Rise 0416 - includes take 3 on DeConto study.
'Dire Prediction' on Melting Antarctic Ice Sheets and Rising Sea Levels 0416 - take 3 on DeConto-Pollard study.
Ice Melt Could Make Seas Rise 6 Feet by 2100 - 0316 - take 1 on DeConto-Pollard study. 40+ feet by 2500 possible
Climate Forecasts Underestimate Sea-Level-Rise Impact of Antarctic Thaw 0316 - take 2. 50+ feet by 2500 possible
James Hansen Warns of Much Worse than Expected Sea Level Rise 0316 - take 2 on study below
We Had All Better Hope These Scientists Are Wrong about Earth’s Future 0316 - take 1 on study below
Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise and Superstorms: Evidence from Paleoclimate Data, Climate Modeling, and Modern Observations that 2°C Global Warming is Dangerous - Hansen et al. 0316 - PDF, 20 pp. - abridgement of the final peer-reviewed publication. The draft from July 2015 is above, under Sea Level Rise - Past, which informs the projected future, below.
Cold icemelt from Antarctica spreads out along the ocean surface. That prevents the vertical mixing (warmer water to the top) there that has driven the great ocean circulation. In Antarctica, the warmer water below the ice eats away at placiers from underneath. Cold icemelt from Greenland leads to shutdown of the Atlantic overturning circulation.
Ice losses from Greenland and Antartica grow, modelled as exponentially, with doubling times of 10, 20, or 40 years. Sea level rises non-linearly, 5-9 meters over 50 to 150 years. This is simlar to what happened 120,000 years ago, when sea levels rose from 3-4 meters higher than today to about 9 meters higher, including 2-3 meters within several decades. (For perspective, the sea level range (maximum - minimum) over the recent ice ages was about 125 meters.)
Preparing for the Inevitable Sea-Level Rise 0216
Sea-Level Rise ‘Could Last Twice as Long as Human History' 0216
Weakening Ice Shelves Raise Sea Level Rise Concerns 0216
Why the U.S. East Coast Could Be a Major ‘Hotspot’ for Rising Seas 0216
Ocean Warming is Making Floods Worse 0116
Hansen 2015 Ice Melt Predictions - PDF
Worst-Case Scenario for Sea Level Rise- No More New York, Berlin or Shanghai 0915
Climate Change and the Fate of Antarctica 0915
Study Predicts All Antarctic Ice to Melt if All Fossil Fuels Are Burned 0915
Seas Will Rise More Around the US, Less Around Antarctica 0115
Pakistan's Coastal Villagers Retreat as Seas Gobble Land 0115
Almost 7,000 UK Properties to Be Sacrificed to Rising Seas 1214
What's Causing How Much of Sea Level Rise 1014
Storm Surge Could Flood NYC 1 in Every 4 Years 0414
How High Will Seas Rise? Ask the Experts. 1113
Timing a Rise in Sea Level 0813
Sea Level Rise Locking In Quickly, Cities Threatened 0713
Models Suggest 2.3 Meter (4 LT) Sea-Level Rise per 1°C Warming 0713 (See Figures on Weather, Sea Rise+ page.) Caveat: paleoclimate studies indicate ~8 meters sea level rise LT per 1°C.
What Sea Level Rise Looks Like for 24 US Cities 0413
What Sea Level Rise Looks Like for 24 US Cities 0413 - WEB
Excerpts: 0 Feet +5 Feet +12 Feet +25 Feet .
Maps of Regional Sea Level Rise Variation 0213
Sea Level Rise Making Floods Routine for Coastal Cities 1014
Sea Level to Rise Despite More Snow in East Antarctica 1212
Seas to Rise 0.2 - 2.0 Meters by 2100 - NOAA 1212
Sea Level Rise to 2100 - NOAA 1212 - PDF
Paleoclimate Implications for Human-Made Climate Change - Hansen 1212 - PDF, in Springer book
Climate Downgrade- Sea Level Rise 1112
Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than IPCC Projections 1112
Sea Level Rise from Polar Ice Quantified 1112
US East Coast to Be Early Casualty of Rising Seas 0812
Sea Levels Rose Quickly 14K Years Ago 0612
2ºC Warming Could Trigger Catastrophic Sea-Level Rise 1211
US Atlantic Sea Levels Rising Fastest in at Least 2000 Years 0611
Sea Level 10-40 M Higher in Mid-Pliocene (~ 3 Mya) 0411
1.4 Meter Sea Level Rise Likely by 2100 as Antarctic Ice Melts 1209
15 Million Years Ago Says 380 ppm CO2 => Seas 25+ Meters Higher 1009
Stern's Bad News from Copenhagen 0309 - sea level rise, food shortages
Seas Will Rise 1 Meter This Century 1008
3.3-3.0 Million Years Ago, Sea Levels Usually +30 to -30 Meters from Today's 1008 - PDF
Sea Level Rise May Be 2x IPCC # 1207
% Area & Pop Less Than 10 Meters Above Sea, World & Regions 0407 - PDF
Sea Level 3 Million Years Ago - Dowsett 1090
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Oceans - Carbon Sink
100 K Years to Recover from CO2 Spike 1107
N Atlantic CO2 Sink Failing 1007
Oceans - Acidification
The 3 maps (and text) below, about CaCO3 concentrations in the oceans, are from the US EPA.
"Corals require the combination of temperature, light, and the presence of calcium carbonate, which they use to build skeletons. As atmospheric CO2 levels rise, some of the excess CO2 dissolves into ocean water, reducing its calcium carbonate saturation.
"As the maps indicate, calcium carbonate saturation has already been reduced considerably from its pre-industrial level. Model projections suggets much greater reductions in the future. The blue dots indicate current coral reefs." EPA
Plastics Could Be Also Acidifying the Ocean 1022
Arctic Ocean Could Grow Far More Acid than Predicted if Emissions Stay High 0620 - 20% more than previously thought
Ocean Water off US West Coast Acidifying Twice as Fast as Global Average 1219
Acidity in Seas to Reach Levels Not Seen in 14 Million Years 0718
North Atlantic Doubles Carbon Intake 0216
Environmental Change Rate Unprecedented, Study Says 0116
Stop Burning Fossil Fuels Now - There Is No CO2 ‘Technofix', Scientists Warn 0815
Ocean Acidity Rising 10 x Faster Than Ever in 55+ Million Years 1113
Ocean Acidification Threatens to Change Entire Marine Ecosystem 1013
Ocean Chemical Cycles Will Be Upset by Climate Change 0913
Oceans Are Acidifying the Fastest in 300 Million Years 0813
Ocean Acidification Makes Plankton Emit Less Cloud-Seeding Compounds 0813
Ocean Acidification Update 0813
Arctic Ocean Acidifying Rapidly 0513
Key Experiment Probes a Future Acid Ocean 0513
Ocean Acidification Accelerated in Nutrient-Rich Areas (Take #1) 0912
Ocean Acidification Threatens Food Security (Take #2) 0912
Oceans Are Acidifying Fastest in 300 Million Years 0312
Oceans 30% More Acid Than 1800 0410
Rate of Ocean Acidification Fastest in 65 Million Years 0210
Acid Ocean Thins Marine Shells 0409
Ocean Is Turning Acidic Fast 0109
Southern Ocean Acidification to Hit Tipping Point 30 Years Earlier 1108
Oceans - Effects on Oxygen & Life
Why Our Oceans Being the Warmest in Recorded History Is So Concerning 0823
Marine life struggles with heat, its resulting oxygen loss, and acidification. Coral is especially hard hit. It also, via the warming-melting effects on Greenland and Antarctic ice, slows down Atlantic Ocean circulation, especially the AMOC and Gulf Stream. They may collapse by mid-century, slowly and possibly as soon as 2025. The warming also melts sea ice, a major feedback that further accelerates global warming.
As Ocean Oxygen Levels Dip, Fish Face an Uncertain Future 0523
Climate Change Is Making Crabs Lose Their Sense of Smell 0523
Another Casualty of Climate Change - Dissolved Oxygen 0423
Scientists Build New Atlas of Ocean's Oxygen-Starved Waters 1221
Warmer, Oxygen-Poor Waters Threaten World’s ‘Most Heavily Exploited’ Fish 0122
Marine Oxygen Levels Are the Next Great Casualty of Climate Change 1121
World’s Oceans Are Losing Oxygen Rapidly, Study Finds 1219
The Ocean Is Running Out of Breath 0219
Baltic Sea Oxygen Levels at '1,500-Year Low due to Human Activity' 0718
Oceans Suffocating, as Huge Dead Zones Quadruple since 1950 - 0118
Low Oxygen Levels Getting Worse in Oceans 0118
Breakthrough Could Help Predict a Catastrophic Loss of Ocean Oxygen 0817
Ocean Oxygen Decline Greater than Predicted 0517
Ocean's Oxygen Starts Running Low 0516
Global Warming Could Deplete the Oceans’ Oxygen, with Severe Consequences 0416
Deoxgenation due to climate change is already detectable in some parts of the ocean.
New research from NCAR finds that it will likely become widespread between 2030 and 2040.
Other parts of the ocean, shown in gray, will not have detectable loss of oxygen due to climate change even by 2100.
(Image courtesy Matthew Long, NCAR.)
Failing Phytoplankton, Failing Oxygen - Global Warming Could Suffocate Life on Earth 1215
Scientists Fear Toxic Algae Bloom Spreading on Pacific Coast 0815
Massive Ocean Oxygen Loss from Melting Ice, Warming, 10-17 Millennia Ago 0115
As Climate Warms, More Outbreaks of Disease for Sea Life 1114
Volcanic Vents Model CO2 Acid Future - 30% Biodiversity Loss 0212
19% of Coral Reefs Gone, Rest Going 2108
Adding CO2 Damages Ocean Life 0706
Acid Ocean Destroys Diatoms 0406
Oceans - Circulation & Other
Why Our Oceans Being the Warmest in Recorded History Is So Concerning 0823
Marine life struggles with heat, its resulting oxygen loss, and acidification. Coral is especially hard hit. It also, via the warming-melting effects on Greenland and Antarctic ice, slows down Atlantic Ocean circulation, especially the AMOC and Gulf Stream. They may collapse by mid-century, slowly and possibly as soon as 2025. The warming also melts sea ice, a major feedback that further accelerates global warming.
Scientists Detect Signs a Crucial Ocean Current Is near Collapse 0723
Antarctic Deep Ocean Currents Are Slowing Earlier than Predicted 0523
Antarctic Research Sparks Concerns that Ocean Circulation Will Collapse 0423
Acceleration of Global Sea Level Rise Imminent past 1.8°C - 0223
'Blue Blob' near Iceland Could Slow Glacial Melting 0222
Atlantic Ocean Invaded the Arctic Ocean Earlier than Anyone Thought 1121
World’s Strongest Ocean Current Is Gaining Speed due to Global Warming 1121
Critical Atlantic Ocean Circulation May Be Heading for Collapse due to Climate Change 0821 - take 2 on study
Scientists Spot Warning Signs of Gulf Stream Collapse 0821 - take 1 on study
Changes to Giant Ocean Eddies Could Have ‘Devastating Effects’ Globally 0421
Climate Change Is Threatening Our Circulation. We Must Act Now. 0321
Stronger Evidence of Slowing Atlantic Ocean Circulation 0221
The Oceans Appear to Be Stabilizing Stratified. Here's Why it's Very Bad News 0920
Changing Patterns of Ocean Salt Levels Give Clues to Extreme Weather on Land 0920
Increased Freshwater in Arctic Ocean Could Affect Global Climate Systems 0820
Fresh Water Is Pouring into the Arctic Ocean. Climate Change Is to Blame. 0820
What Sub-Arctic Seas Influencing the Arctic Ocean Says about Climate Change 0720
Indian Ocean System Driving Extreme Weather in Australia Likely to Worsen with Global Heating 0320
Climate Change is Pushing Giant Ocean Currents Poleward 0220
Most Ocean Currents Are Speeding Up, a Mega-Scale Result of Climate Change 0220
Melting Sea Ice Is 'Atlantifying' the Arctic 1019
Unabated Bottom Water Warming and Freshening in the South Pacific Ocean 0219
Surprising New Picture of Ocean Circulation Could Have Major Consequences for Climate Science 0119
more sinking east of Greenland than west of it
'Tipping Point' Risk for Arctic Hotspot 0119
Huge Stretch of Arctic Ocean Is Rapidly Turning into the Atlantic, in Bad News 0618
How Melting Arctic Ice Could Cook the Tropics 0618
Neighboring Seas Are Flowing into a Warming Arctic Ocean 0518
Ireland Could Face ‘Far Colder Winters and Warmer Summers’ 0418
Antarctic Bottom Water Formation Is Slowing, Threatening Ocean Circulation 0418
Avoid Gulf Stream Disruption at All Costs, Scientists Warn 0418
The Oceans’ Circulation Hasn’t Been This Sluggish in 1,000 Years 0418
Fast-Melting Arctic Is Already Messing with the Ocean’s Circulation 0318
Dire Ocean Scenario Is Stark Reminder of Why We Must Stop Climate Change 0318
Cooling Patch in North Atlantic Presages Slowing Ocean Circulation 0817
Climate Change Is Literally Turning the Arctic Ocean Upside Down 0417 - warm salty water below, fresh icy water above
Drastic Cooling in North Atlantic beyond Worst Fears, Scientists Warn 0217
New Studies Show Rex Tillerson Is Wrong about Climate Risks 0117 - One study (below) shows Gulf Strem will slow / stop.
Global Ocean Circulation More Vulnerable to Shutdown than We Thought 0117
Greenland Ice Melt Could Push Atlantic Circulation to Collapse 0117
How Climate Change Could Jam the World's Ocean Circulation 0916
Southern Ocean Is Getting Less Salty. What That Means for the Rest of Earth 0816
US East Coast Snowstorms Linked to Slowdown of Atlantic Current 0116
Concerns Deepen about a Climate-Change ‘Wild Card’ 0915 - slowdown & stop in global thermohaline circulation
Going with the Flow - Scientists Probe Changes in the East Australian Current 0515
How Tiny Sea Animals Affect Ocean Currents 0914
Desert Dust Feeds Deep Ocean Life 0714
Scientists Warn of 'Deadly Trio' Risk to Ailing Oceans 1013 - acidification, warming, oxygen depletion
Warming Oceans Will Affect the Planet's Poorest 1013
Climate Change Moves Nemo Current to the South 1013
Lower Ocean Salinity Intensifies Rain Extremes 0412
Huge Growing Pool of Arctic Water Could Cool Europe 0112
World Oceans in Shocking Decline 0611
80% of Pacific Islands Not Shrinking 0610
Gulf Stream Is Not Slowing Down 0310
Warming Cuts Ocean Oxygen Content 0508
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Groundwater - Water Tables
The Diagram bove suggests how rising seas can cause ground-water to become salty.
Salinity intrusion is already a severe problem in Bangladesh.
It is a serious problem in many other countries, including Vietnam, Egypt, Tanzania, Senegal, Micronesia, even Florida and Louisiana. (See Sea Rise impacts page.)
California’s Groundwater Gold Rush Woes 0423
It’s Not Just Oceans That Are Rising. Groundwater Is, Too. 0323
NASA Is Watching California’s Groundwater Crisis from Space 0422 - Tulare Basin is sinking a foot a year.
A Federal Drought Relief Program Left Southern Oregon Parched 1121
The Ongoing Collapse of the World's Aquifers 0121
Amazon Rainforest Likely Drier, More Fire-Prone This Year 0420
Groundwater Depletion May Cause Domestic Wells to Dry Out 0719
Water Shortages to Be the Environmental Challenge of the Century, NASA Warns 0518
Climate Change Key Suspect in the Case of India’s Vanishing Groundwater 0317
What You Need to Know About the World's Water Wars 0716
Energy-Water Nexus Issues Heighten in the Face of Climate Change 0716
Groundwater Forum Warns of Severe Drought in South Asia 0616
Europe Is Parched, in a Sign of Times to Come 0915
Scarred Riverbeds and Dead Pistachio Trees in a Parched Iran 1215
Earth's Largest Groundwater Aquifers Are Past ‘Sustainability Tipping Points’ 0615
mm of H2O / yr
-20 -15 -10 -6 -4 -2 -1 0 2 3 5 10 25 .
below left, from J.S. Famiglietti, “The global groundwater crisis”, Nature Climate Change, Oct. 29, 2014.
The Canning River flows to Perth. The Central Valley is California’s. The Guarani Basin is south of Brasilia, east of Asunción and Santa Fe, west of São Paulo and Curitiba, and north of Montevideo.
170 mm of water loss from Guarani's Aquifer approximates 200 cu km, 130 mm lost from the US Southern Plains almost 25 cu km, and north China's 170 mm loss since 2004 about 20 cu km. Northwest India lost 109 cu km from Aug. 2002 to Oct. 2008.
NASA Launches Satellite to Monitor Planet’s Soil Moisture Content 0115
NASA Warns Earth's Fresh Groundwater Reserves Are Disappearing 0115
Kale or Fracking? Farmers and Corporations Fight It Out for Water 1114
'Shocking' Underground Water Loss in US Drought 0714
In Texas Drought, Abbott Keeps Lawn Green by Drilling 1113
Africa Faces Water Crisis Despite Discovery of Huge Aquifers 1013
Groundwater Wake-Up - Asia, US, etc 0813
Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900−2008) - USGS / Kownikov 0513 - abstract "Estimated groundwater depletion in the United States during 1900–2008 totals approximately 1,000 cubic kilometers (km3). Furthermore, the rate of groundwater depletion has increased markedly since about 1950. Maximum rates occurred during the most recent period (2000–2008), when the depletion rate averaged almost 25 km per year (compared to 9.2 km3 per year averaged over the 1900–2008 timeframe).” Or 7.8 km3 per year from 1900 to 2000. Before 2000-2008, depletion rates were next fastest over 1951-1980, at 15.1 km3) per year (from full study, below).
Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900−2008) - USGS / Kownikov 0513 - PDF, 75 pp
Latest Casualty of Drought May Be US Aquifers 0513
Ogallala Aquifer in Texas Panhandle Suffers Big Drop 0513
Drop in US Underground Water Levels Has Accelerated 0513
Texas Groundwater Levels Suffer Sharp Drop 0513
Ogalalla Farmers Watching Their Water Use 1012
Groundwater Trends - UNESCO / van der Grun 0712 - PDF, 44 pages
See 6 excerpts below: 1) world map of abstraction intensity, 2) top 10 abstraction nations, 3) abstraction by continent and use, 4) trends for 8 top depleting nations, 5) trends for aquifers, and 6) trends for countries (mm sea level rise).
*Estimated based on IGRAC (2010), AQUASTAT (n.d.), EUROSTAT (n.d.), Margat (2008) & Siebert et al. (2010).
**Average of the 1995 and 2025 'business as usual scenario' estimates by Alcamo et al. (2003).
Thus, groundwater depletion has accounted for about 5% of the 250 mm in sea level rise since 1900.
Groundwater Changes in California - Kuss 0312 - PDF
This shows a trend of losing 2.6 cu km of groundwater per year in California.
Growing Water Deficit Threatening Grain Harvests 0711
California Water Loss - 30 Cubic Km in 5 Years 1209
Irrigation Depletes India’s Groundwater - 54 Cu Km per Year 0809
North India's maximum groundwater loss rate is almost 2 inches per year, but much of central California's is 15-45 inches per year, up to 100 inches in one small area. But the affected area in north India is much larger.
Ground Water Levels in Ogallala Aquifer - USGS 0609 - PDF
Water & Groundwater in China 0308 (image not from article)
changes from ~1930 to 1997-98 (not 2008) Gray shows water table at least 40 meters lower than in 1960.
Cross hatching shows 20-40 meters loss.
World's Water Tables Falling Fast 0607
Groundwater - General
America Is Using Up Its Groundwater like There’s No Tomorrow 0823
Dry Springs in Central Texas Warn of Water Shortage Ahead 0823 - Many springs are affected, some of which give rise to town names.
SE UK Faces Early Hosepipe Ban, as Drinking Water Stocks Face Record Demand 0623
How California Is Using Recent Floods to Prepare for Future Drought 0323
Parched California Misses a Chance to Store More Rain Underground 0223
As Colorado River Dries, the U.S. Teeters on the Brink of Larger Water Crisis 0822
U.S. Food Trade Increasingly Leans on Unsustainable Groundwater 0120
Climate Change May Reduce Soil’s Ability to Absorb Water – a Key Store of CO2 - 0919 - more root mass, fewer soil pores
Climate Change Endangers Half the World’s Groundwater Supply 0119
Coping with Seawater Invading South Florida’s Drinking Water Source 0618
How Climate Change Will Mess with Water ‘Recharge’ in Western U.S. 1117
As Global Groundwater Disappears, Rice, Wheat, Other Crops May Start to Vanish 0417
Vital Groundwater Depleted Faster than Ever 0417 - trade in thirsty crops
Africa Droughts Prompt Calls to Start Pumping Untapped Groundwater 0816
What Happens to the Great Plains When the Water's Gone? 0716
Groundwater Depletion Adding to Global Sea-Level Rise 1215
Scarred Riverbeds and Dead Pistachio Trees in a Parched Iran 1215 - country is turning to more desert
New Map of Earth's Groundwater to Help Estimate When It May Run Out 1115
California Could Be the Next Saudi Arabia – of Water 1115
Why Fresh Water Shortages Will Cause the Next Great Global Crisis 0315
The Southwest’s Most Important Number - Vapor Pressure Deficit 0115
Probing the Unknowns of What Warming Does to the Earth's Fertility 0115
California Needs to Overhaul Its Groundwater Protection 0714
Groundwater Pumping Propping Up Farms in California Drought 0714
Water Planners Focus on Bigger Texas, Not a Hotter One 0714
In Drought, Water War in California Fought Underground 0913
With Tar Sands Development (& Fracking), Growing Concern on Water Use 0813
Shrinking Aquifers in Drought-Stricken Areas 0613
Farm Subsidies Increase Water Use 0613
Rains or Not, India Struggles for Water 0313
‘Mining’ Groundwater Could Fuel Climate Change 0213
Jakarta Sinking as Water Supplies Dry Up 1212
Harder Rains in Warmer World May Better Recharge Groundwater 1112
Pumping Groundwater Raises Sea Level 0512
Huge Ground Water under Africa 0412
Groundwater Depletion Perilously Accelerates Worldwide 0910
Kansas Groundwater Acidifies 1108
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Lakes. .Rivers. .Air.
Hurricanes - General
How a Tropical Storm Turned Overnight into 'Nightmare” Cat. 5 Hurricane Otis 1023
How Hurricanes Keep Earth’s Energy in Balance 0923
Rapid Hurricane-Intensification Risks 0823
Typhoon Mawar (Betty 2) Becomes Most Powerful Storm on Earth in over 2 Years 0523
Cyclone Mocha, North Indian Ocean’s Strongest Storm on Record, Hits Myanmar 0523
Record Long-Lasting Cyclone Freddy Wreaks Havoc in Southern Africa 0323
Hurricane Damage to Rise in Coming Decades, in New Areas. See Where. 0223
Why Atlantic Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger Faster than Other Storms 0922
Hurricane Ian Is No Anomaly. The Climate Crisis Is Making Storms More Powerful 0922
Climate Change Is Causing Hurricanes to Intensify Faster than Ever 0922
Warming Oceans Fuel Earlier Atlantic Hurricane Seasons 0822
Hurricane Numbers Are Decreasing in Every Ocean Basin except North Atlantis 0722
Aerosol Emissions Masked Global Warming’s Supercharging of Tropical Storms 0522
Deaths amid Flooding and Mudslides as Hurricane Agatha Hits Mexico 0522 - Agatha in the Pacific merges with another store to become Tropical Storm Alex in the Atlantic.
NOAA Forecasts 7th Straight Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season 0522
Climate Change Boosted Cost of Japan Storm by $4 Billion 0522
Study Finds Cleaner Air Leads to More Atlantic Hurricanes 0522
Climate Change Fueled Historic 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s Rainfall 0422
Climate Change Made Deadly African Cyclones More Severe 0422
Huge Increase in Catastrophic Hurricanes in Store for Northeastern USA 0222
Tropical Storms, Hurricanes Have Hit US Shores with Unparalleled Frequency 0921 
Climate Change Is Making India’s West Coast More Vulnerable to Cyclones 0921
Climate Change’s ‘Fingerprint’ Seen in Ida Flooding 0921
Hurricane Ida Slammed into Louisiana, Then Didn’t Really Weaken. Why? 0821
Climate Change Lurks behind Hurricane Ida's Unnerving Intensification Rate 0821
6 Takeaways about Tropical Cyclones and Hurricanes from the New IPCC Report 0821 - 1) More Major (Cat 4 & 5) Tropical Cyclones; 2) Wetter, Windier Tropical Storms; 3) Tropical Storms are Shifting North; 4) More Explosive Growth Tropical Cyclones; 5) Slower Moving Tropical Cyclones that Can Do More Damage,; and 6) How Climate Change Affects Individual Cyclones.
For 7th Straight Year, a Named Storm Forms in Atlantic before Hurricane Season 0521
2020 Tied the Atlantic Record for the Most Major Hurricanes 0521
Atlantic Faces Another Wild Hurricane Season, after Record 2020 - 0421
New Normal for Atlantic Hurricanes to Be More Frequent and Intense Storms 0321
Record-Breaking 2020 Hurricane Season Raises More Climate Change Concerns 1220
Scientists Link Record-Breaking Hurricane Season to Climate Crisis 1120
‘Hurricanes on Steroids’ - Storms’ Explosive Growth Sows New Risks 1120
Final Weeks of Historic Hurricane Season Bring New Storms 1120
Hurricanes Could Reach Farther Inland due to Climate Change 1120 because they hold more moisture
Tropical Storms Can Sometimes ‘Supercharge’ the Storms that Follow 1020
Hurricanes near U.S. Coast Forecast to Worsen, Multiply due to Global Warming 0920
Hurricane Sally Is a Slow-Moving Threat. Climate Change Might Be Why. 0920
5 Simultaneous Tropical Cyclones Are in the Atlantic, for the 2nd Time Ever 0920
Hurricane Laura’s Rapid Intensification Is a Sign of a Warming Climate 0820
India’s Most Recent Cyclone Highlights a Worrying Future 0820
Hurricane Forecast - ‘One of the Most Active Seasons on Record’ 0820
Forecasters Raise Atlantic Hurricane Outlook to 20 Named Storms 0720
Storm Season Has 3rd-Fastest Start in More Than a Century 0620
This Year May Mark Fastest Start to Hurricane Season Since 1851 - 0620
Mid-Pacific Cyclone Harold Holds Big Warnings for Hurricane Season 0620
NOAA Scientists Predict ‘Busy’ Atlantic Hurricane Season 0520
Global Warming Is Making Hurricanes Stronger 0520
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season Could Break Records 0420
Warmest Oceans on Record Adds to Hurricanes, Wildfires Risks 0420
2019 Was the 4th Straight Busier-than-Normal Hurricane Season 1219
The Most Destructive Hurricanes Are Hitting US More Often 1119
Tropical Storm Intensifies to Category 5 Super Typhoon Hagibis in Just 18 Hours 1019
Hurricanes May Be Reshaping Big Parts of the Ocean 1019
slows Gulf Stream; churns up nutrients, followed by sinking dead plankton; etc.
Hurricane Lorenzo Hit Category 5 the Farthest Northeast in the Atlantic Record 0919
graph at right: from 0919 articles below
Global Heating Made Hurricane Dorian Bigger, Wetter – and More Deadly 0919
Why Are Hurricanes Like Dorian Stalling? Is Global Warming Involved? 0919
Climate Change Fills Hurricanes with More Rain, Analysis Shows 0719
Are Hurricanes Getting Stronger? Is the Climate Crisis to Blame? 0519
Could Global Warming Lead to Quieter Hurricane Seasons? Yes, with a Caveat 0419
Atlantic Hurricanes Are Strengthening Faster, Mostly due to Climate Change 0219
People - and Cities - Are Making Hurricanes Worse 1118 - asphalt & rougher surfaces
Climate Change is Pushing Tropical Cyclones Poleward 1018
Warm Waters Boosted 2017′s Major Hurricane Tally 0918
Florence’s Flood Waters Could Be 6 Inches Higher, due to Climate Change 0918
Hurricanes Are Lingering Longer. That Makes Them More Dangerous. 0618
Finding Harvey’s Rains Matched Gulf Evaporation, Scientists Issue Warning 0518
By the End of the Century, Stronger, Slower, and Wetter Hurricanes 0518
Hurricane Season Is Expected to Bring at Least 14 Named Storms in 2018 - 0518
Hurricanes Are Raining Harder and May Be Strengthening Faster, Due to Climate Change 0518
This Is What Happens when the Hurricane Hits Miami in 2037. - 1217
Atlantic Hurricanes' Rapid Growth Spurts Are Intensifying 1217
Climate Change Made Hurricane Harvey's Rainfall Worse, Study Finds 1217
Ophelia, Strongest Eastern Atlantic Hurricane on Record, Roars toward Ireland 1017
Era of Monster Hurricanes Roiling the Atlantic 1017
Huge Rain Was Clear Climate Change Sign in Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey 0917
Hurricanes - a Perfect Storm of Chance and Climate Change? 0917
Hurricanes Release Energy of 10,000 Nuclear Bombs 0917
Fires, Heat Waves, Hurricanes - Why This Summer's Extreme Weather Is Here to Stay 0917
Twin Mega-Storms Have Scientists Fearing This May Be the New Normal 0917
Texas Sees Harvey’s Damage at Up to $180 Billion 0917
Katrina, Sandy, Harvey - the Climate-Hurricanes Debate Gets Louder and Louder 0817
Future Hurricanes Will Be Worse than Harvey 0817
Did Climate Change Intensify Hurricane Harvey? 0817
Harvey’s Incredible Rains in Southeast Texas; Flood Emergency in Houston 0817
A Texas Newsroom Predicted a Disaster. Now It’s Close to Coming True. 0817
imagine - 1.5 Million in Evacuation Gridlock as a Hurricane Aims at Tampa Bay 0517
This Is How You Create a Record-Breaking Hurricane 1016
Landfalling Typhoons Have Become More Intense 0916
Winston, Southern Hemisphere’s Strongest Storm on Record, Punishes Fiji 0216
Global Warming Linked to Greater Number of Hurricanes near Hawaii 1115
Cyclone Chapala Hits 155 mph - 2nd Strongest Storm in Arabian Sea History 1015
Historic Hurricane Patricia's Record 200 MPH Winds, Heavy Rains, Landfall 1015
21 Hurricanes and Typhoons in 2015 Shattered the Record 1015
We May Get Hurricanes ‘Unlike Anything You’ve Seen in History’ 0815 - very rare super worst cases
Rising Seas, Storm Surge, Rain Raise Severe Flooding Risk in Biggest US Cities 0715
Sandy Caused Record Sea Levels, $23 Billion Damages in New York State 0715
Hurricanes Are Becoming Fewer -- But More Intense 0515
Experts Tie Hurricane Changes to Climate Change 0515 - above study + others
Hurricanes Come in Bunches and Could Get Stronger 0515
Climate Change Blamed as Vanuatu Recovers from ‘Monster’ Storm 0315
$9.7 Trillion Problem- Cyclones and Climate Change 1014
2013 US Hurricane Season Ends with a Whimper 1013
'Brown Ocean' Can Fuel Tropical Cyclones Inland 0713
Stormier Paradise to Come in Hawaii 0513
Risks Rise of Hurricanes Like Sandy 0113
Extreme Cyclones Linked to Warming Seas 1212
Extreme Hurricanes Hit US Oftener 1012
below: damage from Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey coast
Air Pollution Intensifies Cyclone Activity 1111
De-Greening Oceans Decreases Hurricanes 0810
Hurricanes Most Frequent in 1,000 Years 0809
More Hurricanes = Fewer Winter Storms 0409
Mighty Hurricanes Get Mightier 0908
Warming to Spawn Fewer Hurricanes 0508
Cyclones (40 Yrs) Intensify - Huber 0606
Warming & Hurricane $, Insurers Report 0905
More Category 4-5 Hurricanes - Webster 0905
Hurricane Intensity - Webster 0905 - PDF
Hurricane Energy Tracks Ocean Temps 0805
Hurricanes: Patterns in Intensity - Emanuel 0805 - PDF
Hurricanes & Warming - Knutson 0705
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past . .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Rivers. .Air.
Lakes
Ice Cover Days Summer Surface Water Temperature
Climate Triage Means Some Cold Waters In Warming Great Lakes Won’t Be Saved 1023
Earth’s Highest Navigable Lake, Titicaca, Home to 3 Million People, Is Drying Out 0923
Shrinking Inland Seas Expose Salty Particulates and More 0623
Warming and Drying Climate Puts Many of the World’s Biggest Lakes in Peril 0523
Great Salt Lake Still at High Risk of Disappearing, after Epic Snow 0423
California’s Record Snowpack, Nearly Full Reservoirs after Epic Winter 0323
Largest US Reservoirs Moving in Right Direction - Filling Up 0323, on average, among Earth's lakes and reservoirs
A Great Toxic Dustbowl Could Soon Emerge from the Great Salt Lake 0223
Warming Climate Prompts Harmful Oxygen Loss in Lakes 1222
Lake Mead at 29% of Capacity, Lake Powell at 24% 1022
The World’s Biggest Source of Clean Energy Is Evaporating Fast 1022
Beavers Are Heat Wave Heroes 0722
Utah’s Great Salt Lake Hits New Historic Low, amid Drought in Western US 0722
California’s Biggest Reservoirs at Critically Low Level, Portending Dry Summer 0622
Lake Mead Continues to Shrink before Our Eyes 0622 - 1,045 feet above sea level as of June 12,
much below 1,057-feet worst-case scenario from August 2021, for June 2022. Down 5.6 feet in only 3 weeks.
California’s 2 Largest Reservoirs Are 'Critically Low' as Dry Season
West’s Megadrought Delivers Another Blow - Saving Glen Canyon Dam
Record Low Water Levels Reveal Body in Barrel at Lake Mead 0522
Lake Powell Officials’ Stark Choice in West's Megadrought - Water
Climate Change Has Destroyed This Once Popular Iraq Lake 0422
Lake Mead Hits Unprecedented Low, Exposing an Original Water
Drought Is Sinking Lake Powell's Water Level. Its Total Capacity
As Planet Warms, Less Ice Is Covering North American Lakes 0322
Iraq’s 2nd Largest Lake Is Drying Up, Turning Up Dead Fish 0222
The Great Lakes are Higher than They’ve Ever Been 0122
Lake Tahoe Water Level Hits 4-Year Low, amid Drought
Great Salt Lake’s Demise Spurs Water Emergency for Utah 1021
1st-Ever Water Cuts Declared for Colorado River in Historic Drought 0821
Lake Powell Hits Record Low Level, in Climate Change-Fueled Water Crisis 0721
Fast-Shrinking Great Salt Lake Poses Rising Hazards 0721
Great Salt Lake Drops to Record Low Levels 0721
Reservoirs Are Drying Up, as Consequences of the Western Drought Worsen 0721
Lakes Are Losing Oxygen—and Their Inhabitants Are in Danger 0621
The Shocking Numbers behind the Lake Mead Drought Crisis 0621
Lake Mead at Hoover Dam to Reach Lowest Water Level since It Filled in 1930s 062
- 1070 feet above sea level, 162 feet below max fill line
Climate Crisis Is Suffocating the World’s Lakes 0621 - Warmer water holds less oxygen (and pther gases). In some deeper lakes, warmer water at and near the surface (thermal stratification) reduces turnover (mixing with deep waters, often a seasonal phenomenon) that can bring up nutrients.
Cambodia’s Biggest Lake Is Running Dry, Taking Forests and Fish with It 0820
US Great Lake Levels Set Record Highs 0420
Climate Change Could Trigger Drastic Swings in Great Lakes Water Levels 0819
This Year’s Wild, Wet Spring Is Feeding Massive Blobs of Toxic Algae 0719
Climate Change Is Driving Rapid Shifts between High and Low Water Levels in the Great Lakes 0619
Great Lakes Basin Warming Faster than Other Parts of the US 0319
Poor Mixing of Lake Nutrients among Looming Climate Change Impacts 0319
Ancient Flood Stalled Ocean Circulation, Plunging Northern Hemisphere into a Millennium of Glacial Conditions 0718 - from glacial lakes covering much of Canada ~ 11,000 years ago (Younger Dryas), drainginto Arctic Ocean via MacKenzie River
Some of the World's Biggest Lakes Are Drying Up. Here's Why. 0218
Ecological Catastrophe Turned a Vast Bolivian Lake into a Salt Desert 0118
Why the Great Salt Lake Is Shrinking 1217
Scientists Think They Know Why the Caspian Sea Is Shrinking 0817
Can We Save Our Lakes from Global Warming? 0817
Parched Lanzhou, China Plans to Pipe Water 1,000 Km from Russia’s Lake Baikal 0317
Displaced Refugees Fear More Loss, as Lake Chad Shrinks 1116
Utah's Great Salt Lake Is Drying Up at Alarming Rate – Satellites 1116
World’s Longest Lake Is Being Depleted of Life as Waters Warm 0816
Warming at Alarming Rate, Lake Tahoe Reflects Rapid Sierra Climate Change 0716
Lake Mead Declines to Lowest Level in History 0516 - Level rebounded more than 10 feet by early 2018.
Saving Iran's Precious Lake Urmia 0416
El Niño Is Rapidly Filling California's Once-Dusty Reservoirs, Easing Drought 0316
Many of World’s Lakes Are Vanishing. Some May Be Gone Forever. 0316
Will the Great Salt Lake Be Reduced to Dust? 0216
Rising Lake Temperatures May Worsen Algae Blooms 1215 - 0.61° per decade in world’s 235 largest lakes
Globally, Lakes Warming at an Alarming Rate 1215 - and up to 1.3°F per decade in northern latitudes
Great Lakes Could Face Similar Acidification Risk as the Seas 1215
On Thin Ice - Big Northern Lakes Are Being Rapidly Transformed 1115
Lake Baikal's Water Levels Drop to Record Low 0115
Climate Change Makes It Harder to Save Lake Erie 0914
Southwest Braces as Lake Mead Water Levels Drop 0814
Lake Mead Reservoir Drops to Record Low 0714
Alaska's Arctic Icy Lakes Lose Thickness 0214
With Great Lakes Stuck at Historic Lows, Talk Turns to Adapting 1013
Warming Lake Superior Prompts a Tribe to Try a New Fish 1013
Changing Clarity Reflects Climate Change at Lake Tahoe 0813
As Michigan Warms, Cotton Instead of Cherry and Grapes? 0713
Lake Michigan's Record Low Begins a New Era for Great Lakes? 0713
The red line is Lake Michigan-Huron's average water level since 1918.
Carbon Acidification Could Harm Great Lakes Wildlife 0713
Falling Great Lakes Water Levels Fall Take Toll on Shipping 0613
Lakes Mead and Powell May Dry Up within Decades 0213
2 Great Lakes Hit Record Low Water 0213
Record Low Water in Lake Michigan 0113
Wisconsin Lakeshore Communities Struggle with Low Water Levels 1212
Reservoir Lake Effect Can Worsen Local Flooding 1212
Warming, Variabiity Drive Near-Record Low Water in Great Lakes 1112
Lake Michigan Water at Record Low 1012
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Air.
Rivers
from 2013 draft US National Climate Assessment
----------------------------------------------
from Dai's "Rivers Discharge, 1948-2004 - Dai 1108". It is available below.
Vobs is the river volume, in cubic kilometers per year, at the station indicated.
bobs is the trend per year over the 1945-2005 period. Bold is statistically significant. Negative is decreasing flow trend.
In Brazil’s Amazon, Rivers Fall to Record Low Levels during Drought 1023
Record-Low Mississippi and Ohio River Levels 1023
Climate Triage Means Some Cold Waters In Warming Great Lakes Won’t Be Saved 1023
Water Levels on the Mississippi River Are Plummeting for 2nd Year in a Row 0923
A Breakthrough Deal to Keep the Colorado River from Going Dry, for Now 0523
The Oceans Are Missing Their Rivers. Dam! 0523 Fertile soils in sediments pile up behind dams.
Satellites Show Climate Change Thinning Rivers, Erasing Glaciers 1122
Shrunken Mississippi River Slows US Food Exports When World Needs Them Most 1122
Battle of the Alps? Water Woes Loom amid Climate Change 1022
How It Looks as Drought Strangles the Mighty Mississippi 1022
The World’s Biggest Source of Clean Energy Is Evaporating Fast 1022
The Mississippi River and Its Tributaries Have Dropped to Record Lows 1022
Drought, Climate Change Are Drying Up North America’s Bodies of Water 1022
Mighty Mississippi Is So Low, People Are Walking to Tower Rock Island 1022
Mississippi Barge Crisis Set to Deepen as Ohio River Now Sees Backups 1022
Could the Drying Up of Europe’s Great Rivers Be the New Normal? 0922
Drifting Toward Disaster - the (2nd) Rio Grande 0922
China’s Record Drought Is Drying Rivers and Feeding Its Coal Habit 0822
The World’s Rivers, Canals, and Reservoirs Are Turning to Dust 0822
China's Fragile Economy Is Being Hammered by Driest Riverbeds since 1865 - 0822
China Drought Causes Yangtze to Dry Up, Sparking Hydropower Shortage 0822
Source of River Thames Dries Out ‘for 1st Time’ during Drought 0822
Europe’s Rhine River Is on the Brink of Effectively Closing 0822
The Vanishing Rio Grande – Warming Takes Its Toll 0622
The Paraná River, South America’s Economic Lifeline, Is Shriveling 0921
60% of World’s Rivers Stop Flowing for at Least One Day a Year 0621
Climate Change Is Altering Rivers around the World 0321
Declining Snow Cover in U.S. Northeast Will Have Major Impacts on Rivers 1120
Australia’s Inland Rivers, Pulse of the Outback, to Be Unrecognizable by 2070 - 0920 darker = more humid
darker = more humid
Thirst Turns to Anger as Australia's Mighty River Runs Dry 1019
Climate Change Has Stolen over a Billion Tons of Water from the Colorado River 0220
The World's Supply of Fresh Water Is in Trouble, as Mountain Ice Vanishes 1219
River Flows All Across the Globe Are Dropping 1019
1st-Ever Mandatory Water Cutbacks to Start Next Year along the Colorado River 0819
Scientists Warn of Lower Water Supply due to Melting Glaciers after 2060 - 1118
'Catastrophic' Floods Rising on Amazon River 0918
'A Hot Drought' - Warming Is Driving Much of the Colorado River's Decline 0918
Rising CO2 Is Affecting Freshwater 3 Times Faster than Saltwater 0118
Ganges under Threat from Climate Change 1017 - retreat of Gangtori glacier, Ganges headwaters, sewage, etc.
China Diverts 10 Billion Cubic Meters of Water to Arid North, in Massive Project 1017
Tagus River, Spain’s Longest, at Risk of Drying Up Completely 0817
How Climate Change Might Affect the Nile 0817
Billion-Dollar Dams Are Making Water Shortages, Not Solving Them 0617
Western Water Crunch Has Climate Change Fingerprints 0417
Thick Ice Formations in Arctic Rivers Are Melting Earlier in Summer 0417
Source of Mekong, Yellow and Yangtze Rivers Drying Up 0317
Congo Risks 50% Power Drop, due to Low Rainfall, Record Low Congo River 0317
Parched Lanzhou, China Plans to Pipe Water 1,000 Km from Russia’s Lake Baikal 0317
Global Warming Is Shrinking Colorado River, Vital to 40 Million People 0217
Wildlife Dying En Masse as South American River Runs Dry 0716
Montana’s Rivers Are Warmer than They Should Be - Bad News for Trout 0716
India to ‘Divert Rivers' to Tackle Drought 0516
Lao Hydro Dam to Seriously Affect Vietnam’s Mekong Delta 1214
Clear Skies Could Empty Rivers 1014
Climate Change Reflected in Altered Missouri River Flow, USGS Says 0814
Rio Grande May Hit 40-Year Low 0414
River Thames Breaks January Records for Water Flows 0214
Could Weakening Winds Threaten Pacific Northwest's Mountain Water Supply? 1213
Ecologists Link Far East Floods to Global Warming 0813
Russia Evacuates 19,000 from Flooded Far East 0813 - also under Flood Impacts
With Tar Sands Development, Growing Concern on Water Use 0813 - also above under Groundwater
Warming Bad for Life in Freshwater Lakes and Rivers 0613
Canada's 'Northern Amazon' (Mackenzie) on the Brink 0613
Climate Change Impact on Stream Flow Varies by Location 0213
Dai's 1108 graphs below show that flows in the Ganges/Brahmaputra and Mekong Rivers approach zero (8% of peak) during the dry season. The Indus, Yellow, Salween, and Irawaddy Rivers face similar problems. All depend heavily on monsoon rains, but during the dry season on meltwater from the Himalayas. The same can be said, but more weakly, of the Changjiang (Yangtze River). This makes them vulnerable to running out of water during years when flow is low, or when Himalayn glaciers vanish.
Flows also are very low (4-8% of peak) in the Yenisey and Lena rivers, but during the frozen season. Flows change more for the Orinoco River between the rainy and dry seasons than they do for the Amazon. Flows in the Congo and Parana Rivers are not very sensitive to season, and Amazon flows only somewhat more sensitive.
Year-to-year variability ranges from 6:1 for the Uruguay River and 3:1 for the Mississippi, Niger and Xi Rivers, to 1.4:1 for the Amazon River. Years with low water flows in some rivers leave them at risk of running dry.
Mississippi River Drops to 3 Feet 1212
Engineers Clear Rocks from Dried Mississippi 1212
Mississippi River Faces Shipping Freeze as Water Levels Drop 1212
Water Piped to Denver Could Ease Stress on River 1212
Climate Change to Reduce US Southwest Water Supply 0411
Earth's Water Cycle is Changing Rapidly 1010
Floods and Mudslides on 3 Continents 0810
Rivers Discharge 1948-2004 - Dai 1108 - PDF
Below are Dai's graphs showing annual discharge into the world's ocean basins. Discharge into the Arctic Ocean rose, while into the Pacific and Indian Oceans it fell.
from Changing Northeast Climate - UCS 1006, for Northeast US
River Runoff & Evaporate - Dai 1202 - pdf
GO TO Top. .Overview. .Rain: World. .US. .Seas: Heat. .Level: Past. .Future. .Acid+. .Groundwater. .Hurricanes. .Lakes. .Rivers.
Air
Climate Change in Minnesota - More Heat, More Big Storms 0215
Added Atmospheric Water Vapor Adding to Global Warming 0714
How Australia's Big Wet Befuddled Scientists 0813
Water Vapor Does 2/3 of Warming 1108