The Unexpected Effects of Drought

where I want to · #21 09/13/14, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ognend

What I find is that a lot of people avoid reading the actual data and instead read digested opinions on important topics such as "whether it is only this year or is it part of a trend" type of questions. Digested opinions are always backed by agendas. Go back to the original research papers and the data, spend an afternoon reading them and draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately, something tells me that a large portion of the populations (even the ones with University degrees) do not know how to do this

It's hard to do this since it depends on modelling through computer programs based on assumptions of global warming. If you can tell me where the raw data is, I would like to look at it. But I'm not at all sure I have the understanding to make my own interpretations anyway.

am1too · #22 09/13/14, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TraciInTexas

In San Antonio, a very large percentage of our slab foundations are cracked on homes. I have always kept a weeper hose buried about 6" deep around our foundation. When we need to water the yard (clay shrinks a LOT when it dries out) because of the deep crevices, we also water the house foundation. It helps a lot and keeps the doors of the house from getting out of square.

I wonder if it would help to back fill that shrinkage with sand. Clay can only shrink so far. When it gets wet if the shrinkage was taken up with sand would it then compress the concrete?

jbo9 · #23 09/13/14, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by am1too

I wonder if it would help to back fill that shrinkage with sand. Clay can only shrink so far. When it gets wet if the shrinkage was taken up with sand would it then compress the concrete?

Yep, it would. And then you have to deal with a cracked foundation or a foundation that is buckling in on a basement. The idea of keeping the soil moist, but not saturated, is best.

sisterpine · #24 09/13/14, 10:33 PM

For most of my life I actually thought that forest fires would help cure drought....there would be fewer plants sucking up water. I also thought that an area that got flooded today could no longer say they were having a drought LOL. How silly was I huh. I know that here in AZ when our ground gets really dry and baked it does not absorb water (doesn't do much of that anyway) so the water just up and runs to the lowest spot and makes temporary ponds and lakes. I don't really believe that the weather is being as wonky as we feel it is. It is just being weather, we are not in charge of it and the creator has not shared the planned forecast with us. We have all these electronic gadgets that tell us how and when and where adverse weather will strike but it is still only an educated guess and the data is often misread. As far as I am concerned we are only slightly better than our ancient forefathers at predicting the weather. It just seems like we are because we constantly hear about weather that is happening in all parts of the world on TV.

wogglebug · #25 09/13/14, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

But were they so widespread and sudden? Most of the changes we are seeing are happening much faster than previous changes.

Tell that to the mammoths that were frozen with buttercups in their mouths when the last ice age came on, just a shade unexpectedly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

That leaves too little time for animals and plants to adapt.

Oh, yeah!