New satellite eyes looming U.S. drought By Paul Hoversten, space.com . 04.03.00

Creeping disaster Scientists call drought a "creeping disaster" because, unlike a flood or hurricane, it arrives slowly and spreads gradually. But its effects can be enormous. With nearly half the United States in the grip of a worsening drought, scientists this weekend begin scrambling to develop the first drought map ever produced by an Earth-orbiting satellite.

NASA's new $1.3 billion Terra satellite already has turned in an early engineering image of the lower Mississippi River basin. That's one of the areas where scientists are seeing near-record-low stream flows.

"This is the time of year where stream flow conditions should be about normal butwe're anywhere but that," said Charles Groat, director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which monitors more than 7,000 streams and rivers nationwide. "When our dry summer hits, we may not have enough in [groundwater] savings to get through without problems," he said.

Conditions around the country already mirror those that prefaced the disastrous drought of 1988.

That was the costliest weather disaster in U.S. history with an estimated $40 billion in losses. The average cost of a drought is around $6 billion.

The challenge now for scientists is to use Terra to create a national drought map that will help them better understand -- and perhaps even anticipate -- the dry spell in time for summer

more http://explorezone.com/archives/00_04/03_drought.htm

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.corn), April 02, 2000

Answers

As long as my 401k keeps getting bigger, who gives a shit.

-- (@ .), April 03, 2000.

Hey (@.), You can't eat or drink a 401K. If you're so nearsighted why are you here? My neighbor's creek which empties into the Mississippi is ankle deep right now; last year it was knee+ deep. the Mississippi behind my house is down at least 3 feet from last year. Yes, there was not much snow this year and the snow melt in rivers is way down. But low water in the Mississippi means congestion for barge traffic which is grain, iron, and coal; industry problems.

A drought this year will put a lot of farmers, already on the edge from low prices, out of business. This makes room for the deep- pocket corporate farmers. Its deteoration of the rural way of life.

A drought in the West means those desert cities will deplete their underground water reserves and look for water from other states or Canada. Water wars are a good possibility.

Droughts usually happen in extra-hot weather. We've read that Summer electrical capacity is at its limit now. We may see widespread brownouts and outages. A lot of vulernable people will die.

We may want to prep for the hot dryness ahead. Anyone know of a good solar fan?

-- John (littmannj@aol.com), April 03, 2000.

Here in mid-MO we are already well below average rainfall. Only had one snow all winter long. Last year was so hot, I was miserable, and I think this one is shaping up the same way.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), April 04, 2000.

This has been one of the drier, warmer winters in a long time here in Northern AZ. All the snow we have received so far (about 12 in) is hardly one good snowstorm in a normal winter. Apparently last year was pretty dry, too.

-- Flash (flash@flash.hq), April 04, 2000.

Hey (@),

How's your 401(K) doing to day?

-- Mr Bear (bear@nasdaq.down), April 04, 2000.