On the Cause of the 1930s Dust Bowl (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781287294665)

The 1930s was characterized by a decade of rainfall deficits and high temperatures that desiccated much of the United States Great Plains. Numerous dust storms created one of the most severe environmental catastrophes in U.S. history and led to the popular characterization of much of the southern Great Plains as the Dust Bowl . In this study, we show that the origin of the drought was in the anomalous tropical sea surface temperatures that occurred during that decade. We further show that interactions between the atmosphere and the land surface were essential to the development of the severe drought conditions. The results are based on simulations with the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project general circulation model forced with observed and idealized sea surface temperatures. We contrast the 1930s drought with other major droughts of the 20th century, and speculate on the possibility of another Dust Bowl developing in the foreseeable future.

Author: Siegfried D. Schubert
ISBN-10: 1287294669
ISBN-13: 9781287294665
Publisher: Bibliogov
Language: English
Published: 08/07/2013
Pages: 26
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.15lbs
Size: 9.69h x 7.44w x 0.05d