A Strained Water System in Chile #Landsat #NASA #USGS #Earth

A Strained Water System in Chile

Intense droughts lasting a year or two are common in Chile and other countries with Mediterranean climates. But the drought currently gripping central Chile—which has dragged on for more than a decade—is something quite different.

Since 2010, precipitation in central Chile has been below normal each year by an average of 20 to 45 percent. Around Santiago, home to more than 7 million people, the lack of rain has been particularly extreme, with just 10 to 20 percent of normal rain falling during the past few years.

No drought in Chile's modern meteorological record (since 1915) has lasted longer, Paleoclimatologists who look for clues of past climate conditions in tree rings estimate that the last "megadrought" of this scale probably occurred in this region more than 1000 years ago, explained René D. Garreaud, a scientist at the University of Chile.

The dwindling rains have had far-reaching consequences, particularly for farmers. In August 2019, Chile's Ministry of Agriculture declared agricultural emergencies for more than 50 municipalities. Tens of thousands of farm animals have died, and tens of thousands more are at risk. Water supply systems are strained, and reservoirs are low. Many people in rural areas are getting their drinking water from tanker truck deliveries.

This pair of natural-color images shows El Yeso, one of the main reservoirs that supplies Santiago. The image on the left shows the reservoir on March 19, 2016, when it held about 219 million cubic meters of water. By March 2020, the volume had dropped to 99 million cubic meters, about 40 percent of capacity. Both images were acquired by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.

Most of the water that reaches the reservoir falls as snow on nearby mountains. During the spring and summer, the snow and ice melts, replenishing streams that flow into the reservoir. But a lack of snow for the past few years means some key peaks to the south and east that would normally be snow-covered are now bare.

Scientists who have studied the megadrought attribute about 25 percent of its intensity and severity to global warming. They attribute the rest to natural cycles in atmospheric circulation, ocean temperatures, and rainfall patterns, such as those associated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.

Comments

Geologic and tectonic framework of the Indian shield

Major Terms and Regions Explained 1. Indian Shield The Indian Shield refers to the ancient, stable core of the Indian Plate made of hard crystalline rocks. It comprises Archean to Proterozoic rocks that have remained tectonically stable over billions of years. Important Geological Features and Regions ▪️ Ch – Chhattisgarh Basin A sedimentary basin part of the Bastar Craton . Contains rocks of Proterozoic age , mainly sedimentary. Important for understanding the evolution of central India. ▪️ CIS – Central Indian Shear Zone A major tectonic shear zone , separating the Bundelkhand and Bastar cratons . It records intense deformation and metamorphism . Acts as a suture zone , marking ancient tectonic collisions. ▪️ GR – Godavari Rift A rift valley formed due to stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust. Associated with sedimentary basins and hydrocarbon resources . ▪️ M – Madras Block An Archean crustal block in...

Geology and Tectonic. Indian Shield

1. Ch (Chattisgarh Basin): Chattisgarh Basin is a geological region in central India known for its sedimentary rock formations. It's important for its mineral resources, including coal and iron ore. 2. CIS (Central Indian Shear Zone): CIS is a tectonic boundary in central India where the Indian Plate interacts with the Eurasian Plate. It's characterized by significant faulting and seismic activity. 3. GR (Godavari Rift): The Godavari Rift is a geological feature associated with the rifting and splitting of the Indian Plate. It's located in the Godavari River basin in southeastern India. 4. M (Madras Block): The Madras Block is a stable continental block in southern India. It's part of the Indian Plate and is not associated with active tectonic processes. 5. Mk (Malanjkhand): Malanjkhand is known for its copper deposits and is one of the largest copper mines in India. 6. MR (Mahanadi Rift): The Mahanadi Rift is a geological feature related to the rifting of the Indian Pl...

Evaluation and Characteristics of Himalayas

Time Period Event / Process Geological Evidence Key Terms & Concepts Late Precambrian – Palaeozoic (>541 Ma – ~250 Ma) India part of Gondwana , north bordered by Cimmerian Superterranes, separated from Eurasia by Paleo-Tethys Ocean . Pan-African granitic intrusions (~500 Ma), unconformity between Ordovician conglomerates & Cambrian sediments. Gondwana, Paleo-Tethys Ocean, Pan-African orogeny, unconformity, granitic intrusions, Cimmerian Superterranes. Early Carboniferous – Early Permian (~359 – 272 Ma) Rifting between India & Cimmerian Superterranes → Neotethys Ocean formation. Rift-related sediments, passive margin sequences. Rifting, Neotethys Ocean, passive continental margin. Norian (210 Ma) – Callovian (160–155 Ma) Gondwana split into East & West; India part of East Gondwana with Australia & Antarctica. Rift basins, oceanic crust formation. Continental breakup, East Gondwana, West Gondwana, oceanic crust. Early Cretaceous (130–125 Ma) India broke fr...

Seismicity and Earthquakes, Isostasy and Gravity

1. Seismicity and Earthquakes in the Indian Subcontinent Key Concept: Seismicity Definition : The occurrence, frequency, and magnitude of earthquakes in a region. In India, seismicity is high due to active tectonic processes . Plate Tectonics 🌏 Indian Plate : Moves northward at about 5 cm/year. Collision with Eurasian Plate : Causes intense crustal deformation , mountain building (Himalayas), and earthquakes. This is an example of a continental-continental collision zone . Seismic Zones of India Classified into Zone II, III, IV, V (Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS). Zone V = highest hazard (e.g., Himalayas, Northeast India). Zone II = lowest hazard (e.g., parts of peninsular India). Earthquake Hazards ⚠️ Himalayas: prone to large shallow-focus earthquakes due to active thrust faulting. Northeast India: complex subduction and strike-slip faults . Examples: 1897 Shillong Earthquake (Magnitude ~8.1) 1950 Assam–Tib...

Vector geoprocessing - Clipping, Erase, identify, Union & Intersection

Think of your vector data (points, lines, polygons) like shapes drawn on a transparent sheet. Geoprocessing is just cutting, joining, or comparing those shapes to get new shapes or information. 1. Clipping ✂️ Imagine you have a big map and you only want to keep a part of it (like cutting a photo into a smaller rectangle). You use another shape (like the boundary of a district) to "clip" and keep only what is inside. Result: Only the data inside the clipping shape remains. 2. Erase 🚫 Opposite of clipping. You remove (erase) the area of one shape from another shape. Example: You have a city map and want to remove all the park areas from it. 3. Identify 🔍 This checks which features from one layer fall inside (or touch) another layer. Example: Identify all the schools inside a flood zone. 4. Union 🤝 Combines two shapes together and keeps everything from both. Works like stacking two transparent sheets and redrawing t...

Vineesh V, Geography

Search This Blog