OUR NASA Pictures posted last week Lake Mead which show the effect of periods of drought, enhanced global warming, for the last 22 years. Satellite photographs compare the size of the lake, which is the largest reservoir of water in the United States, in three periods: 2000, 2021 and 2022. Despite the difference between the first and last images, the effects of the decrease in water volume since 2021 have also accelerated.

Lake Mead: the largest reservoir of water in the US.

Lake Mead is responsible for supplying a region in the western United States of about 25 million people, including not only urban and rural areas, but also Indian reservations. This year, the lake reached its lowest capacity since its creation in 1937, 85 years ago, with 27% of its water storage.

The reason for the loss of volume is a prolonged drought caused by global warming, which is facilitated by over-harvesting of timber in the region. Rising temperatures in the Colorado River basin, which feeds Lake Mead, have resulted in snow, which melts to increase the volume of rivers, and reduced humidity in the region, making it less likely to rain. See comparison of Lake Mead showing the Overton Arm, the section of the lake where the Virginia River flows.

White marks in an area that was once covered Lake Mead it’s called a bathtub mark. The name evokes associations with traces of dirt that remain in the bathroom after draining the water. When Lake Mead, these traces are formed by deposits of minerals that occur under water. With drought and loss of water volume, they become visible, and their size shows how far the water has reached the reservoir. Now compare the images from 2000 and 2022.

Via: The Guardian Source: Earth Observatory

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