Climate Change in New Mexico

Climate change may be affecting no area of the United States more harshly than it is the Southwest, and apparently, as the title of one in-depth Los Angeles Times feature story boldly proclaims, "New Mexico is the driest of the dry."

drying portion of the Rio Grande River, outside of Santa Fe, NM

New Mexico's climate was formally classified as semi-arid to arid to begin with, but now the entire state is in the middle of a drought of unprecedented severity. 2010-2013 were the hottest, driest years since 1985, when climate record-keeping first began. But even outside of the records, photographic as well as anecdotal info (many families have along the Rio Grande for generations) show that the river is at its lowest ever. At points, it does not resemble a river at all, but rather a sandy bank graced by the odd puddle.

A rancher surveying what is left of his federal allotment land

These changes are probably due to a combination of factors both human and environmental. As animal agriculture spread west with everything else, farmers thought they could keep using the same farming style that was suitable for more humid climates, such as those in the midwest. Cattle can graze a piece of land in New Mexico until it is stripped completely clean of its vegetation, causing the ground to be more directly exposed and susceptible to groundwater loss through evaporation. Human consumption of water has placed a heavy toll the water, as well. On top of it all, over 95% of the state has experienced increases in mean temperatures in the last three years, which could be symptoms of another problem, man-made climate change.

Climatograph of Albuquerque, NM. Indicative of "BWh" or subtropical desert climate.

New Mexico is completely landlocked. Due to this "continentality," as well as its relatively complete lack of humidity, temperatures shift can shift drastically throughout the day. New Mexico's climate could be accurately given the more accurate label of "subtropical desert," abbreviated for the Koppen climate classification as "BWh."

Sources:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/NAmerDrought/NAmer_drought_2.php
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-me-parched-20130806-dto-htmlstory.html
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newmexico/new-mexico-climate-change.xml
http://nmsierraclub.org/climate-change-affect-New-Mexico

Photo Credits:
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/new-mexico-grapples-with-tough-choices-amid-drought/article_36bbe242-e83f-5190-97cd-9427521a6675.html
http://www.nmnewsandviews.com/2011/08/02/drought-devastating-new-mexico-ranchers/
http://drought.unl.edu/archive/climographs/AlbuquerqueMetric.htm