Researchers at India's Institute of Technology Gandhinagar found that ocean temperature patterns, particularly El Niño and La Niña cycles, prevent droughts from simultaneously affecting large portions of the planet, with synchronized droughts typically covering only 1.8% to 6.5% of global land at once. The study of climate data from 1901-2020 identified regional "drought hubs" and showed that shifting ocean patterns create a patchwork of drought conditions across continents, helping safeguard global food supplies by limiting widespread crop failures.
Otto Beta
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Researchers at India's Institute of Technology Gandhinagar found that ocean temperature patterns, particularly El Niño and La Niña cycles, prevent droughts from simultaneously affecting large portions of the planet, with synchronized droughts typically covering only 1.8% to 6.5% of global land at once. The study of climate data from 1901-2020 identified regional "drought hubs" and showed that shifting ocean patterns create a patchwork of drought conditions across continents, helping safeguard global food supplies by limiting widespread crop failures.