Pictures - Surprising Effects of the U.S. Drought

Soaring Food Prices
Photograph by Jim Lo Scalzo, European Pressphoto Agency
Farmer Donna Melton holds ears of corn ravaged by drought in one of her fields outside Eldorado, Illinois. Much of the United States remains locked in the grip of its worst drought in more than half a century. More than 50 percent of the nation is in moderate drought or worse, nearly 40 percent in severe drought or worse, and more than 17 percent in extreme drought or worse, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
"We've seen tremendous intensification of drought through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Kansas, and Nebraska, and into part of Wyoming and South Dakota in the last week," noted Brian Fuchs, a climatologist and U.S. Drought Monitor author, in his July 26 report.
Across the corn belt withered crops have driven prices skyward in the face of what looks to be the worst production since 1988, when the harvest was down a staggering 30 percent. Experts expect higher consumer food prices will begin soon and stretch into 2014 because of short supplies of staples like corn, soybeans, and wheat. Shortages also will impact meat and dairy producers because livestock depends on the same feed crops, and their rising costs will be passed on to consumers.
Ethanol production, which consumes some 40 percent of U.S. corn, has also dipped to its lowest level in more than two years while ethanol prices have soared some 22 percent this year due to fears that supply will run short because of expensive corn.
—Brian Handwerk
(See more drought pictures.)
Published August 3, 2012
Impeded Transport
Photograph by James A. Sugar, National Geographic
Earth movers pushed grounded barges out of the shallows and back into the severely reduced flow of the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tennessee.
River levels have dropped so low that the barge captains who annually move $180 billion in crops, coal, steel, and other products have been forced to travel with lighter loads—meaning prices will rise as more trips are necessary.
"The implications of the drought conditions and low water levels are a one-two punch for the economy, impacting both the agricultural community and one of the major modes of transporting agricultural and other essential products," said Tom Allegretti, president and chief executive officer of the American Waterways Operators, in a statement.
Allegretti noted that every inch (2.5-centimeter) loss of water decreases the carrying capacity of a single barge by 17 tons of cargo. Losing a foot (30.5 centimeters) of water results in a loss of 204 tons of cargo capacity per barge. Tows on the lower Mississippi typically have 30 to 45 barges.
"This would be the equivalent of adding 130 tractor-trailer trucks to the highways or 570 rail cars on the rail system for just one large tow," said Allegretti.
(See top consuming countries.)
Published August 3, 2012
Shifting Lobster Populations
Photograph by Robert F. Bukaty, AP
Sternman Scott Beede throws an undersized lobster back into the sea near Mount Desert, Maine.
Lobsters remain in abundance throughout the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, but they have become seriously depleted elsewhere—particularly in Southern New England, where warming waters may be having an impact on the population.
The lobster catch, one of the Atlantic coast's most valuable, has grown from about 25 million pounds (11.3 million kilograms) per year in the early 1950s to 116 million pounds (52.6 million kilograms) in 2010, according to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), which helps manage the resource.
In February 2010, the ASMFC released new management plans that aim to reduce Southern New England lobster fishing by 10 percent and build back stocks, which have remained low for more than a decade. The area-specific regulations will include a temporary ban for Long Island Sound, where it's believed warming water temperatures are hurting lobster populations.
(See dolphins and whales hunted.)
Published August 3, 2012
Changing Crop Patterns
Photograph by Jim Wark, AgStock Images/Corbis
A grain truck unloads harvested sorghum from Kansas fields. The corn-like forage crop "sips" water rather than requiring large amounts, and can withstand drought much better than corn. It's still grown in relatively low abundance, however, because under good conditions corn brings higher profits and the market for sorghum isn't always strong. (Sorghum is used in fuels, animal feed, and some processed food products.)
Crop variety changes are one way farmers can help to alleviate the impacts of drought, but such choices aren't easy and, of course, often aren't available by the time the current year's plantings are under way and suffering from current conditions.
"This drought is two-pronged," said Brian Fuchs, the climatologist and U.S. Drought Monitor author, in his July 26 statement. "Not only the dryness but the heat is playing a big and important role." He added: "Conditions are likely to persist. We'll see further development and intensification into the fall."
(See how a "doomsday vault" protects the world's food supply.)
Published August 3, 2012
Bigger Dust Storms
Photograph by Ross D. Franklin, AP
A huge dust storm engulfs part of metro Phoenix on July 21, 2012, stretching dozens of miles wide and as high as 5,000 feet (1,525 meters) in the air.
The giant storms, known in some regions as haboobs, occur when cold air from thunderstorms rushes to the ground and kicks up dust from parched earth. The American Southwest is susceptible to them between May and September, during monsoon season, when prevailing winds pull in tropical moisture to spawn more thunderstorms with powerful downdrafts. Some climate scientists believe such storms will become more frequent in the region as the climate changes in the future.
Dust storms create traffic hazards by reducing visibility to near zero, and cause respiratory problems, particularly for those already at risk. They may also have longer term health effects by causing exposure to airborne pollutants such as heavy metals, chemicals, and bacteria.
(See more storm photos.)
Published August 3, 2012
More Valley Fever
Image by Michael Abbey, Visuals Unlimited
An invisible danger of drought, the Coccidioides immitis fungus causes Valley Fever. In this laboratory slide it's seen releasing endospores in the lung of a human patient.
The fungus inhabits the soil of dry areas, including the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central and South America—and its presence is greatly increased by drought conditions. The fungus enters the lungs when people breathe in spore-filled dust. Once in the body it can produce serious infections, pneumonia, and even death.
In 2010 the CDC reported more than 16,000 U.S. cases of coccidioidomycosis, most of them in California and Arizona.
(Learn more about disasters and the environment.)
Published August 3, 2012
Emboldened Bark Beetles
Photograph by Ethan Miller, Getty Images
Bark beetles decimated this pine stand near Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. In just a few short years the insects have killed off billions of conifers from Alaska to Mexico.
The beetle is a native species and infestations are an ancient part of the forest ecosystem—trees and thousands of species of the beetles have coexisted for thousands of years. But several of the current outbreaks are the biggest in recorded history.
Scientists believe the beetles are getting a boost from consecutive warm years that supercharge reproductive cycles and allow many more of the insects to survive frigid winters. Drought conditions also stress and weaken trees, making them far more susceptible to threats, including attacks by the voracious beetles, which are no bigger than a grain of rice.
Forest management plays a role as well. By protecting forests from natural fire cycles, humans have greatly increased the relative composition of older pine trees in which the beetles prefer to feast.
(See wildfire photos.)
Published August 3, 2012
Changes in Mosquito Behavior
Photograph by Robin Loznak, Zuma Press
These floating mosquito larvae were scooped from a cattle watering trough on a ranch near Roseburg, Oregon. The bloodthirsty insects spread so much disease that they must be considered one of the world's most dangerous animals.
The relative lack of irksome "floodwater mosquitoes," denied waters in which they breed by drought, has been a silver lining of sorts for some communities stricken with lack of rain. But the more dangerous Culex mosquito, which carries West Nile virus, has actually been boosted by the unusual weather. Health officials in many states are reporting higher mosquito infection rates for West Nile virus and earlier human cases of the disease this year.
Warm temperatures speed up both the mosquito's breeding cycle and the replication of the virus itself. Mosquitoes can also find new breeding grounds in stagnant pools as river levels drop.
(Learn more about freshwater species.)
Published August 3, 2012
$Photo: Drought has dropped stream flows and groundwater levels so low that the use of water for natural gas “fracking,” by drillers like these at work in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, has been suspended in many parts of the Keystone State.$
Suspended Fracking
Photograph by Les Stone, Corbis
Drought has dropped stream flows and groundwater levels so low that the use of water for natural gas "fracking" by drillers like these at work in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, has been suspended in many parts of the Keystone State.
Permits to pull water from streams in the Susquehanna River Basin have been suspended in 13 Pennsylvania counties and one New York county—the most severe water restrictions passed since the usage permits were first issued in 2008.
During each hydraulic fracture, or "frack," at a well workers mix 3 to 5 million gallons (15 million liters) of water with a cocktail of chemicals and force it underground at high pressure to fracture rocks and allow natural gas to rise through surface wells. In recent years the gas has become an enormous new source of domestic energy.
Environmentalists decry the dangers of the process, including threats to water supplies and human health.
(See more on fracking.)
Published August 3, 2012
Concentrated Agrochemicals
Photograph by Philip Wallick, AgStock Images/Corbis
A helicopter sprays herbicides on an almond orchard in Chico, California. Drought may be having an invisible but significant impact on weed-killing efforts by causing chemical herbicides to last much longer than normal.
Many herbicides break down so slowly in dry conditions that they can persist from one season to the next and possibly even cause harm to future rotation crops. Farmers, already struggling from lack of water and extreme heat, must also weigh the need to cut weed competition versus the possible harm that can come from persistent herbicides in overabundance.
(Learn more about pesticides.)
Published August 3, 2012
Thinner Herds
Photograph by Scott Olson, Getty Images
Marion Kujawa feeds corn to his cattle near Ashley, Illinois, but farmers like Kujawa are feeling a squeeze caused by drought conditions that have reduced feed crops such as corn and hay and driven up their prices. Some have taken to selling their cattle for slaughter early because of the high costs of feeding them.
Some agencies have taken measures meant to help. Idaho's Farm Service Agency, for example, is opening some conservation lands for emergency haying and grazing. The USDA will also allow some emergency haying and grazing on protected lands under its Conservation Reserve Program.
(See more on thinned herds.)
Published August 3, 2012
Rising Meat Prices
Photograph by Nazi Harnik, AP
Cattle stood for auction last month in Norfolk, Nebraska. As farmers watch their pastureland shrivel in the drought, and see the prices of feed crops skyrocket, many are being forced to thin their herds. These difficult decisions can have long-term impacts on herd management, including the future of pregnant cows and challenges to the herd's genetic strength.
Consumers can expect to see these agricultural woes reflected in higher prices for meat and other commodities. Experts expect there may be a short-term dip in beef prices while cows that can't be fed are instead led to slaughter, causing a boost in market supply. Following that, however, prices are likely to climb steeply as supplies tighten in the autumn.
(See more on ranching and the environment.)
Published August 3, 2012
Rioting Over Food Prices
Photograph by Eduardo Munoz, Reuters
The streets of Port-au-Prince erupted on April 8, 2008, when Haitians threw stones and attempted to storm the National Palace during a riot against soaring food prices. Five people were killed.
During the 2007-2008 food crisis, prices in some countries soared 75 percent from 2006 levels and 115 million people joined the chronically hungry, according to UN estimates. Those in the developing world, from Haiti to Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, bore the brunt.
Demographers project that two billion more people will need to be fed by the year 2050, raising the possibility of recurring food crises. "If we don't do something, I guarantee we'll have more food crises and more severe food crises," said Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute.
(Learn more about Haiti.)
Published August 3, 2012
Next: Drought Parches Much of the U.S. >>
Photograph by Jeanette Warner
Published August 3, 2012