Droughts Exemplar

Droughts

by: Stephanie Flynn

by: Stephanie Flynn
2019

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Table of Contents:

Pg. 2: Description

Pg. 3: Cause and Effects

Pg. 4: Solutions

Pg. 5: Droughts in history

Pg. 6: Glossary

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What is a drought?

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A drought is when there is a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time, usually a season or more, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector.

It is a long period of dry weather or extended periods of time with less than average rainfall.

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4 types of droughts:

1. meteorological
2. agricultural
3. hydrological
4. socioeconomic

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A lake dried up.

CAUSES

EFFECTS

Droughts can be caused two ways: naturally and because of human impact. A shortage of rain or snow, lack of moisture up stream, high pressure systems, and global warming patterns can all naturally cause a drought. If man places a greater demand on the water system than there is supply, this can also lead to a drought.

- Lack of drinking water
- Loss of crops
- Famine
- Impact on daily life
- Destruction of ecosystems
- Higher risk of forest fires
- Deforestation

S
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Fun Fact:
Turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save 100 gallons of water a month!

Preparation is key!
Emergency spending once a crisis has begun is less effective than money spent in preparation.

Urban Areas:

-enforce water restrictions
-use high efficiency toilets and faucets
-turn off water while brushing
-only run dishwasher full

Farming Conservation Practices:
- efficient irrigation system
-monitoring soil moisture
-planting drought resistant crops
rotating crops

Droughts in history....

What: The Dust Bowl

When: 1930's (lasted a decade)

Where: The great plains of the United States (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, etc)

Why: The combination of lack of rain, high temperatures, and strong winds affected at least 50 million acres of land. Massive clouds of dust and sand formed as unusually strong winds lifted the dry soil into the air. These clouds could block out the sun for days, giving the period the name “dust bowl.”

Glossary:

ecosystem: (noun) a community of organisms in an environment

decade: (noun) a period of ten years

deforestation: (noun) the act of clearing out a forest

famine: (noun) extreme hunger, starvation

precipitation: (noun) the amount of liquid that has fallen from the atmosphere