Drought
What is a drought?
A drought is a period of time when an area or region experiences below-normal precipitation.
What happens during droughts?
The reduction of precipitation can cause reduced soil moisture or groundwater, limited stream
flow, crop damage, and a general water shortage.
Can people predict a drought?
Unlike with sudden weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms, it is
often difficult to identify when a drought has started or when it has ended. The initial effects of
a drought may be difficult to see right away, so it may take weeks or months to determine that
a drought has started. The end of a drought is hard to identify for the same reason.
How long can a drought last?
A drought may last for weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes, drought conditions can
exist for a decade or more in a region.
Are there different types of droughts?
Yes, there are. Scientists have defined five different types of droughts.
These are: Meteorological Drought (When dry weather patterns dominate an area.),
Hydrological Drought (When low water supply becomes evident in the water system.),
Agricultural Drought (When crops become affected by drought.), Socioeconomic Drought
(When the supply and demand of various commodities is affected by drought.), Ecological
Drought (When natural ecosystems are affected by drought.).
What areas are affected by droughts?
The areas most affected by droughts are: agriculture, transportation, public health,
ecosystems and water quality.
Vocabulary:
crops: a plant that is grown in large quantities, especially as food
precipitation: all forms in which water falls to Earth from the atmosphere.
soil: the top layer of the earth in which plants, trees, etc. grow
moisture: very small drops of water or other liquid that are present in the air, on a surface or in a
substance.
stream: a continuous flow of liquid or gas.