Long-term aridity changes in the western United States

Edward R. Cook; Connie A. Woodhouse; C. Mark Eakin; David H. Meko; David W. Stahle

doi:10.1126/science.1102586

Long-term aridity changes in the western United States

Edward R. Cook, Connie A. Woodhouse, C. Mark Eakin, David H. Meko, David W. Stahle

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1301 Scopus citations

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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1015-1018
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	306
Issue number	5698
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1102586
State	Published - Nov 5 2004

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AU - Eakin, C. Mark

AU - Meko, David H.

AU - Stahle, David W.

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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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Long-term aridity changes in the western United States

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