1.23.2007
North American Winds Blew in Reverse During Last Ice Age
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During the last ice age, the prevailing winds in North America blew from the East, not the West, as is currently the case. Could it be we are witnessing the start of a climatic shift?
This means that the West Coast of the U.S. was much drier in the past than it is now - particularly the Pacific Northwest. The East Coast was as wet or wetter than it is at present. Much of the central part of the continent - and most areas in the West above a certain elevation, were covered with ice sheets.
Today, for example, this explains the deep aquifer of water still available in the area extending from eastern Nevada to Death Valley - why is it that there are so many springs and aquifers in an arid environment?
The answer: in the ice age, this entire area was ice bound, melting ice created Lake Manley, and percolated into the shales and sandstones. The abundant, but falling underground water in this area is left over from this wetter time.
Read more at Live Science
This means that the West Coast of the U.S. was much drier in the past than it is now - particularly the Pacific Northwest. The East Coast was as wet or wetter than it is at present. Much of the central part of the continent - and most areas in the West above a certain elevation, were covered with ice sheets.
Today, for example, this explains the deep aquifer of water still available in the area extending from eastern Nevada to Death Valley - why is it that there are so many springs and aquifers in an arid environment?
The answer: in the ice age, this entire area was ice bound, melting ice created Lake Manley, and percolated into the shales and sandstones. The abundant, but falling underground water in this area is left over from this wetter time.
Read more at Live Science
Labels: aquifer, climate, death_valley, wet, wind
