Publication: Associated Press

UCLA Expert: Park Williams: Associate Professor and Ladder Faculty, Department of Geography

Synopsis: The intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has “sharply” increased over the past 20 years, according to a study published in the journal Nature Water. These aren’t merely tough weather events, they are leading to extremes such as crop failure, infrastructure damage, even humanitarian crises and conflict. The big picture on water research comes from data from a pair of satellites known as GRACE, or Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, that were used to measure changes in Earth’s water storage — the sum of all the water on and in the land, including groundwater, surface water, ice, and snow.

UCLA News: “It’s incredible that we can now monitor the pulse of continental water from outer space,” Williams said.“I have a feeling when future generations look back and try to determine when humanity really began understanding the planet as a whole, this will be one of the studies highlighted.”

Read more at Associated Press.