Megadrought risks in southwest U.S. soar as atmosphere warms -- ScienceDaily

As a consequence of a warming Earth, the risk of a megadrought -- one that lasts more than 35 years -- in the American Southwest likely will rise from a low chance over the past thousand years to a 20- to 50-percent chance in this century. However, by slashing greenhouse gas emissions, these risks are nearly cut in half, according to a Cornell-led study in Science Advances, Oct. 5.