Drought is an abnormally long period of dry weather because there is a severe lack of water in an environment over an extended period of time. For a drought to happen, it means that rainfall has fallen below the average necessary to water crops and/or livestock, and to refill dams for months at a time.
Severe droughts occur commonly in the interior of continents, particularly Africa and Australia. However, they can occur anywhere, and with different levels of severity.
There are several reasons why they can occur. The topography of the land has some influence on weather patterns: for example, in Australia, the Great Dividing Range extends down the eastern side of the continent, effectively preventing rainfall from reaching very far into the interior. Winds that move moisture laden air to areas where the moisture would become rain are unable to extend inland.
This may be a result of the El Nino phenomenon, which brings dry conditions to some parts of the world for sometimes as long as several years at a time. This is why the southern continents of Africa and Australia are particularly prone.
Desertification is a vicious cycle which increases drought-like conditions, and makes it increasingly difficult for the land to recover. Desertification may occur as a result of man's intervention in the environment, particularly activities such as deforestation and cutting down trees, over-grazing of stock animals, or farming unsuitable crops for a region (e.g. rice, which has to have large amounts of water pumped to it).
Some recent droughts are believed to have happened because of global warming.
Most of the droughts occur when there is lack of trees.
yes
because Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world
Yes, they can, but they are very rare anomalies in wet countries.
There 10 facts about droughts
droughts occur in hot-dry areas of land
Most of the droughts occur when there is lack of trees.
Droughts can occur in all states of Australia.
Droughts can, and do, occur during any time of the year in Australia.
Droughts in America usually occur in the summer and hot seasons
It depends on the area. The areas hottest seasons is when droughts probaly occur
yes, droughts occur in only one area where water scarcity is present
wildfires and droughts
It depends on the country. There is no specified time as to when droughts can occur. They are by no means restricted to the summer months - they can and do occur all year round.
yes
It is the reason droughts occur
Major droughts take place in Dallas, Tx Phoenix, Az.