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Mishra_2021_Environ._Res._Lett ...
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Department of Geosciences, University of ArizonaIssue Date
2021
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IOP Publishing LtdCitation
Mishra, V., Thirumalai, K., Jain, S., & Aadhar, S. (2021). Unprecedented drought in South India and recent water scarcity. Environmental Research Letters, 16(5).Journal
Environmental Research LettersRights
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Peninsular Indian agriculture and drinking water availability are critically reliant on seasonal winter rainfall occurring from October to December, associated with the northeastern monsoon (NEM). Over 2016-2018, moderate-to-exceptionally low NEM rainfall gave rise to severe drought conditions over much of southern India and exacerbated water scarcity. The magnitude and dynamics of this drought remain unexplored. Here, we quantify the severity of this event and explore causal mechanisms of drought conditions over South India. Our findings indicate that the 3-year cumulative rainfall totals of NEM rainfall during this event faced a deficit of more than 40% - the driest 3-year period in ∼150 years according to the observational record. We demonstrate that drought conditions linked to the NEM across South India are associated with cool phases in the equatorial Indian and Pacific Oceans. Future changes in these teleconnections will add to the challenges of drought prediction. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.Note
Open access journalISSN
1748-9318Version
Final published versionae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1088/1748-9326/abf289
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.