Richard Williams, III Essays - Physical Geography, Water

Richard Williams, III Mr. Greer Practicum STEM Robotics 09222016 The Exceptional Statewide Drought in California The issue at hand is the severe drought consuming over 71% of the state of California. This drought has California the driest it's been for 500 years . The heat has the Golden State with almost no snowpack in the mountains, which are critical sources of runoff for the state's water reservoirs. If this problem isn't fixed immediately the drought will only increase every year until the state has a 100% drought and there's no water left. This issue is was caused naturally but also influenced by mane-made things and issues such as global warming, pollution, and the overuse and waste of freshwater. One of the natural causes of the drought is a mass of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that has drifted closer to the West Coast named " The Blob ". Scientists believe this mass has persisted in about the same area for over 2 years and measure 1,000 miles across and 300 feet deep. Researchers have stated this mass of water may be a partial cause of the drought due to the increased temperature of the water, it doesn't allow much cool and moist air into the atmosphere in the direction of the state. Other scientist speculate that the high pressure system " La Nina " is likely what kicked off the drought cycle in 2011 by creating a persistent high-pressure system just off to the West Coast, close to California. The high-pressure system interfered with storm tracks and wind flow, causing storms that would usually have hit California to chart a different course and drench other locations with their much-needed precipitation. Recent studies on the scientific phenomenon have found that La Nina is to blame for the emerging drought. They've also discovered another possible cause named the "Ridiculously Resilient Ridge", which is a high pressure area in the atmosphere off the West Coast, nearly 4 miles high and 2,000 miles long. This atmospheric pressure is currently blocking Pacific winter storms from coming to California, deflecting them to Alaska and British Columbia. The results of this drought can become catastrophic. During times of drought, the areas flora and fauna are visibly dry and very unhealthy. This affects the herbivores that eat the plants, consequently removing the food source for omnivores and carnivores that eat the herbivores and plants. In summary, drought can cause an entire ecosystem to fail over time. Also the water levels in lakes and reservoirs fall dramatically, causing us humans to resort to underground aquifers and wells. The bad thing about that is over time, as the drought persists, the constant removal of the backup water can result in land subsidence, seawater intrusion, and the development of sinkholes. These issues are harder to see but are more costly to manage. The decline of surface water flows can be detrimental to water supplies for agriculture, cities, hydropower production, navigation, recreation, and habitat for aquatic and riparian species. There are no known ways to prevent and mostly natural drought; however there are ways man can prevent the negative effects of them. To begin with, local governments can use recreational surveillance drones to search for possible water sources or signs of aquifers. They can also be used to locate stranded or hurt people all over California with most focus on the Mojave, Colorado, and Great Basin Deserts. Other ways to prevent substantial water loss is to attempt to replenish the supply with seawater intrusion, which is using automated machines to remove water from the oceans, purify it, and store/deliver it to holding areas until it is needed. One of the major problems that come with droughts is wildfires. Fire departments can use drones put out the fires by remote so that no firemen with have to go in harm's way. And in conjunction with that, they can use rovers to survey particularly dry areas, locate, and remove potentially combustible debris and return them to a sec ure location. The drought in California is a major concern and should be treated as so. The natural disaster itself cannot be prevented but its effects can be. Technology is the greatest advancement in human civilization; we