from the denial-ain't-just-a-drought-stricken-river-in-Egypt dept.
Droughts, flash floods the future for the Midwest ... probably:
A climate model developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Labs, projects prolonged droughts across much of the US which will be followed by brief but devastating floods. But these events won't happen overnight.
Instead, they're forecast to place with increasing frequency over the next 50 years. But even by the middle of the century — just a short 27 years from now — simulations suggest that large portions of the Midwest will be in a state of persistent drought, and the American West isn't looking much better off, despite recent rainstorms that have raised hopes of more lush times ahead.
[...] However, extreme drought isn't the only thing Argonne researchers' models forecast. They also predict brief but intense periods of precipitation — a characteristic of many drought prone areas — leading to extensive flooding.
According to researchers, the American Midwest could bear the brunt of these extreme weather events as the climate continues to shift. While precipitation might sound like a reprieve from drought conditions, the researchers note that as the soil dries out, it becomes hydrophobic, causing it to repel water. They note that similar phenomena have been observed with wildfires in California.
Ultimately, scientists hope that improved models will give policymakers something to think about when approaching climate issues.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by DadaDoofy on Monday March 06, @02:03PM (2 children)
Model makers don't get funded if their models don't model the desired outcome. It's "science".
(Score: 2, Troll) by mcgrew on Monday March 06, @06:06PM
Is there a "-1, ignorant" mod?
Educete yourself, dumbass. [wikipedia.org]
Carbon, The only element in the known universe to ever gain sentience
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 06, @06:49PM
You might be on to something. Exxon scientists made climate models in the 70s/80s that generally agree with contemporary climate models [soylentnews.org], so Exxon stopped making models. So you are correct, but probably not in the manner that you think you are.
(Score: 2) by MIRV888 on Tuesday March 07, @02:30AM
The grapes of wrath is a great book.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Tuesday March 07, @08:18AM
Some famous guy - I forget who - said that he could make a model produce any behavior you want, as long as he had at least four free variables. Climate models have a lot more than four variables you can play with.
There is literally no point to trying to model climate 50 years in the future, when climate models are incapable of predicting even a few years into the future [clintel.org].
Science is about creating testable hypotheses. A prediction 50 years out cannot reasonable be tested. This is just clickbait.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.