Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona Alamy Stock Photo
Forecasting drought in the Colorado River, one of the most important rivers in the arid western US, could come down to ocean temperatures thousands of kilometers away.
The Colorado River runs for around 2300 kilometres, providing water to vast farmlands and 30 million people in seven US states and Mexico. A team of researchers found that distant sea surface temperatures today could help predict the river’s water supply up to two years into the future.
“If we can predict the shortage of Colorado…
