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California has been subject to century long droughts in the not too distant past (about 1000 years ago). "BEGINNING about 1,100 years ago, what is now Californ
by chrisco255 6y ago
California has been subject to century long droughts in the not too distant past (about 1000 years ago).
"BEGINNING about 1,100 years ago, what is now California baked in two droughts, the first lasting 220 years and the second 140 years. Each was much more intense than the mere six-year dry spells that afflict modern California from time to time, new studies of past climates show. The findings suggest, in fact, that relatively wet periods like the 20th century have been the exception rather than the rule in California for at least the last 3,500 years, and that mega-droughts are likely to recur."
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/19/science/severe-ancient-droughts-a-warning-to-california.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/19/science/severe-ancient-dr...
What's amazing is that many of these trees survived that. And that modern humans think modern California is "normal".
- h0l0cube 6y agoFurther to that, the global temperature anomaly has caused rainfall patterns to change, meaning some places are trending wetter, and some drier, and crucially, volatility has increased. Having wet seasons, generating fuel load, followed by dry is more problematic than a sustained drought.
- selectodude 6y agoI remember driving through the Santa Monica Mountains on my way to Malibu right after Southern California was absolutely deluged by rain for weeks. It was one of the most stunning displays I've ever seen in person. Three years later Malibu burned down. So it goes.
- bcrosby95 6y agoThis was actually part of my theory of why California electric companies got so lazy about tree and brush removal around their power lines. I don't think it's a coincidence that just 1 year after exiting a 6 year drought state power companies started huge fires in both Northern and Southern California.
- h0l0cube 6y agoSo, I'm curious, what do you think would motivate a power company to let their infrastructure burn, along with the trees?
- pvaldes 6y ago> BEGINNING about 1,100 years ago When systematic deforestation and massive logging started?
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoIn North America? Not hardly.