Melting ice in the Arctic might seem a world away from California’s farms and aquifers. But droughts in the state could get worse as the Arctic melts.
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| Extent of Arctic sea ice in September 2016 versus the 1981-2010 average minimum extent (gold line). |
Summers in the Arctic Ocean are expected to be ice-free within a few decades. When that happens, the precipitation California receives could decrease as much as 15 percent.
Cvijanovic: “We see quite clearly sea ice shaping how much rainfall California receives.”
Read the Yale Climate Connections story by Diana Madson - “Arctic melting could worsen future California droughts.”
