Dartmouth Study Reveals U.S. Drought Monitor Struggling to Keep Up with Climate Change-Induced Drought Conditions.

A study by researchers at Dartmouth College has found that the U.S. Drought Monitor, a key federal tool for directing emergency aid to drought-stricken regions, is being overwhelmed by climate change impacts, including prolonged periods of extremely dry weather. The study, which used over two decades of data, found that persistent drought across much of the western United States has resulted in areas that remain more severe and persistent drought status than the program is designed to track. The research was published in the April edition of AGU Advances.