Long-Term Aridity Changes in the Western United States

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Abstract

The western United States is experiencing a severe multiyear drought that is unprecedented in some hydroclimatic records. Using gridded drought reconstructions that cover most of the western United States over the past 1200 years, we show that this drought pales in comparison to an earlier period of elevated aridity and epic drought in AD 900 to 1300, an interval broadly consistent with the Medieval Warm Period. If elevated aridity in the western United States is a natural response to climate warming, then any trend toward warmer temperatures in the future could lead to a serious long-term increase in aridity over western North America.

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Journal

Title: Science

Abbreviated Title: Science

Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

ISSN (Print): 0036-8075

ISSN (Electronic): 1095-9203

Publication date Created: November 05 2004

Publication date (Print): November 05 2004

Volume: 306

Issue: 5698

Pages: 1015-1018

Article

DOI: 10.1126/science.1102586

PubMed ID: 15472040

SO-VID: fa35903e-0d22-4a29-b7a0-006d8f0b11bb

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