42. MEGADROUGHT
intensity at least equivalent to modern multiyear droughts
duration longer than the several years to decade thereof
Seager et al., Journal of Climate, 2008
43. “ Average reconstructed annual flow
for the period 1844–1848 was lower
”
than the observed flow for 1999–2004.
Woodhouse et al., 2006
44. “ The long-term perspective provided by
tree ring reconstructions points to looming
conflict between water demand and supply
”
in the upper Colorado River basin.
Woodhouse et al., 2006
48. 1,200 years of Colorado River discharge Meko et al., GRL, 2007
49. “ The tree-ring record shows that droughts
lasting decades have routinely gripped
”
western North America.
Jonathan Overpeck and Bradley Udall
50. “ As western North America currently endures its
worst drought since 1900, it is important to realize
that this drought might be nothing compared to
what is possible in the future if megadrought and
”
even ho er temperatures coincide.
Jonathan Overpeck and Bradley Udall
51.
52. Tree rings provided the central evidence that caused municipal water agencies to
“RETHINK OLD
ASSUMPTIONS”
about worst-case scenarios for reservoir operations and re-evaluate the
potential duration and geographic scope of severe drought.
53. READING FOR THURSDAY
David Meko and Connie Woodhouse (2010), Application of
streamflow reconstruction to water resources management.
M.K. Hughes et al. (eds.), Dendroclimatology, Developments in
Paleoenvironmental Research.
60. QUESTION 4
A common misconception is that dendrochronology
involves just counting tree rings. Describe three situations
that would lead simple ring counting to provide an
inaccurate estimate of tree age.
