Thread by @InsiderNews

The largest reservoir in the US is drying up. The water there has dropped more than 140 feet in the last two decades.

But the US isn’t the only country experiencing abnormally dry weather conditions.

All around the world, severe droughts are happening 1.7 times more often than in 1850-1900.

So what’s causing this drought, and what could be the long-term damage?

It has to do more with temperature than less rainfall. Even though precipitation was actually above average in many parts of the US this summer, record rain can’t stop high temperatures from evaporating more water.

It mostly comes down to human-made climate change.

The UN’s latest report states that 2.4 trillion tons of CO2 have been added to the atmosphere since the mid-1800s.

Because of that, the average global temperature has gone up by almost 2°F or 1.1°C. If it goes up by 1.5°C, almost 1 billion people could endure severe heat waves every five years.

As temperatures rise, it creates a heat dome. That’s when sinking air from the Earth’s atmosphere traps warm air that’s rising from the ground, making hot air even hotter!

This June was the hottest the US has ever seen, with temperatures reaching:
🌡️ 115°F or higher in Phoenix, Arizona for six straight days
⚡116°F in Portland, breaking a record
📈 130°F in California’s Death Valley.

This severe heat combined with the ongoing drought is the perfect fuel for wildfires. Fires are getting bigger and more destructive over time.

The smoke from this year’s bootleg fire in Oregon traveled 2,500 miles and even reached New York City.

As winds carry smoke across states, it can turn bodies of water more acidic, destroy nutrients in the soil, and damage ecosystems.

One study predicts that if nothing is done to address the warming climate, about 100,000 Americans could die each year.

For more stories covering climate change and its consequences, follow @thisisinsider.