It’s only been a few months since Hurricane Harvey brought record amounts of rainfall to Texas and already, more than 40 percent of the state is in a moderate to severe drought.
As the Texas Tribune reports, these huge swings in rainfall totals are driven by climate change. In an interview with the Tribune, John Nielsen-Gammon (our state climatologist) explained that while climate change might not impact annual rainfall totals, it could make storms less frequent and more severe, leading to longer and more intense periods of drought in between.
And speaking of climate change, if it’s a topic you’re interested in learning more about, then this might be an event to mark in your calendar. The American Association for the Advancement of Science is hosting a free lecture featuring Katharine Hayhoe (director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University) on Sunday, February 18th at 5:15pm at the Austin Convention Center. The lecture is entitled, “When Facts Aren’t Enough.” More info>>
(Can’t get enough science talks? The American Association for the Advancement of Science will be hosting other free talks that weekend, focusing on topics including the International Space Station and genetics. More info>>)
