TITLE:
Drought and Associated Impacts in the Great Plains of the United States—A Review
AUTHORS:
Jeffrey B. Basara, Joanna N. Maybourn, Casey M. Peirano, Jennifer E. Tate, Parker J. Brown, Jake D. Hoey, Brandon R. Smith
KEYWORDS:
Drought; Great Plains; United States; Rainfall; Precipitation
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.4 No.6B,
August
23,
2013
ABSTRACT: The Great Plains region of the United States is
susceptible to drought of all kinds including meteorological/climatological,
agricultural, hydrological, and socioeconomic. Drought conditions in the region
span varying spatial and temporal scales and the causes include: 1)
certain synoptic conditions that favor drought such as mid-tropospheric ridging
over the drought-affected area and a weak low-level jet; 2) sea surface
temperature anomalies and associated teleconnections; 3) land-atmosphere
coupling; and 4) anthropogenic effects. While drought can span as few as a couple
of months, the most severe droughts can occur at the decadal scale such as the
1930s Dust Bowl, the worst drought in recent history from a societal
standpoint. Such droughts in the Great Plains have widespread impacts on
agriculture, water resources, human health, and the economy.