drought

Encyclopedia Article

Article

A prolonged period of atypical dry weather conditions with little or no rain that finds fuel moistures, water tables, aquifers, and surface waterways low to dry. Droughts can severely affect agriculture as well as natural ecosystems. In much of the arid areas of the U.S. Southwest, drought is a regular and common concern.

Photo Credit: 

 
"California drought dry riverbed, March 15, 2009" by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is licensed under Public Domain.

Published Works: 
People of Darkness (1980)
The Dark Wind (1982)
Term Type: 
Natural Environment Reference