Drought 2002 in Colorado: An unprecedented drought or a routine drought?

摘要: The 2002 drought in Colorado was reported by the media and public figures, even a national drought-monitoring agency, as an exceptionally severe drought. In this paper we examine evidence for claim. Our study shows that, while impacts of water shortages were exceptional everywhere, observed precipitation deficit less than extreme over good fraction state. A likely explanation discrepancy is imbalance between supply demand time. For given level supply, become intensified demands increase sobering conclusion that more vulnerable to today under similar deficits past.