There is a person by the name ofLeah Crane.
South-western North America is in the midst of a severe dry spell.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
South-western North America has not seen a similar type of dry spell for more than 1000 years. While this is visible on the ground, images from space put the effects of the megadrought into stark relief, showing lakes retreating into their beds, rivers drying up and mountains with unprecedentedly scant snow caps.
Satellites are used to provide data on how Earth's surface changes over time. The Landsat programme, a joint endeavor between NASA and the US Geological Survey, has provided nearly 50 years of continuous imagery of the planet's surface.
The Colorado riverdelta is located in the state of Colorado.
The U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team is part of NASA.
The Colorado river used to run from northern Colorado to the Gulf of California. The river would have hit a blue line through this entire image about 80 years ago. The river ends just south of the green farmlands towards the top of the picture. The inlet formed by water lapping inland from the gulf is the bluish-purple line. 40 million people rely on the water provided by the entire river basin. The American West and northern Mexico are worried about the drying.
The Colorado river was connected to the ocean for a short period of time in the year.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
The Colorado river doesn't make it to Mexico very often. The city of San Luis Ro Colorado in Mexico saw a lot of water in the summer 2014–2018. The Mexican and US water and land-management agencies agreed to release water from the Morelos Dam at the US- Mexico border. Plants and animals were able to return to the areas that they had left when the river dried up because of this. The river connected to the ocean for a few weeks before it dried up and retreated again.
Since it was first filled, the lake is at its lowest levels.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
The conditions for the lakes fed by the Colorado river are not good. The biggest lake in the US is currently at its lowest level since 1937. It was only 27 percent of its capacity. Since 1999, it hasn't been at 100%. The water of the lake provides water for a huge swathe of the southern US and northern Mexico, and it also provides power via the famous Hoover Dam, if the water levels get too low.
Since it was first filled, Lake Powell is at its lowest point.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
Lake Powell is at its lowest water level since it was first filled and is fed by the Colorado river. It is predicted to go down more by the end of the century. It remains to be seen if the plans to send more water into Lake Powell from upstream will protect the water and power supply that comes from these two important sources.
It is almost completely empty in the northern part of Mexico.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
Even though it sounds like a broken record, things are even more dire for smaller reservoirs like the Cerro Prieto. Only a small amount of the maximum water capacity was contained as of July 22nd. To make sure people in the surrounding areas had enough to eat, the government had to divert water away from industrial and agricultural applications.
In Utah, the Great Salt Lake has been affected by the megadrought.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is the biggest lake in the US. Half of the lakebed has been exposed by drops in water levels. Some of the decline in water level can be attributed to the water that once flowed into it being used, but the less snowmelt flows in through the rivers.
The lake is an important part of the area's economy. Losing the Great Salt Lake could cause disaster for the surrounding area because of the huge dust storms it can cause. It remains to be seen if any of the potential plans to save it will be put into place.
There is less snow on Mount Baker.
The NASA Earth Observatory is located in the United States.
It is not just the water that disappears during a dry spell. Many of the lakes and rivers are filled with water from the mountains. There is a permanent patch of snow and ice at the top of Mount Baker in Washington and it stays through all seasons. The patch is getting smaller. All the mountains in the American West are experiencing the same thing. The glaciers are retreating and less water is flowing into the rivers and streams that keep people and wildlife hydrated all year. It's all connected and it's drying up.
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