Megadrought in the Colorado River Basin - Data Puzzles Webinar
Declining water levels in two of the largest reservoirs in the United States, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, provide visible evidence for the ongoing megadrought (a period of extreme dryness that lasts for decades) in the Colorado River Basin. Scientists studying weather and climate in this region are analyzing temperature and precipitation patterns over time to determine the root cause of the ongoing megadrought. After analyzing authentic datasets, students come to the conclusion (as scientists have also done), that rising temperatures and the resulting increase in evapotranspiration rates are largely responsible for the megadrought in the Colorado River Basin. Amplifying the megadrought is the increasing demand for water as cities in the southwest continue to grow.
