Amazon's Worst-Ever Drought in 2005 Caused By Global Warming
Posted on: Monday, 10 March 2008, 00:00 CDT
Brazil's drought in 2005, the worst-ever hitting the Amazon, was caused by global warming instead of the El Nino weather phenomenon as previously thought, the country's National Space Research Institute (INPE) announced Sunday.
"The idea that a drought comes with every El Nino is simply notcorrect," said INPE researcher Carlos Nobre who studied the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean and Amazon rainfall. "El Nino does not affect the southwestern Amazon region."
The warming of the Atlantic's waters is an effect of global warming, the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found. The temperature of the ocean has risen 0.7 degrees in the past five decades.
"The temperature of the North Tropical Atlantic in 2005 was among the highest in many years, and our meteorological analysis shows it triggered a low pressure system above these waters," saidthe INPE's Jose Marengo, who led the study.
"This low pressure system changed the winds throughout the tropics, and the result was less rainfall in Amazon."
In October 2005, the Solimoes, which becomes the Amazon after mixing its waters with the Rio Negro, went so dry that navigation in the region was halted.
Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS
Related Articles
- 'Kangaroo-Court' Hearing a One-Sided View of California Drought; Regulations Making Water Shortage Worse
- ATLANTIC-ACM Delivers Global Wholesale Carrier Excellence Awards
- Drought May Aid Water-Free Urinal Push
- Three Drought States Talk Water Allocation
- Feds Form Drought Panel Amid Water Talks
- Yangtze Drought Cuts Into Water for 1M
- Australian Drought Means Recycled Water
- China Drought Cuts Drinking Water Supplies
- Foundation Coal Awarded ''2005 Coal Company of the Year'' at Platts Global Energy Awards
- China Southern Vice President He Zongkai to Address China Summit 2005; China Southern Official Airline Sponsor of Major Global Event
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds