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Dry Regions Expanding Rapidly: Twice California's Size Annually

8/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking study in Science Advances reveals a startling trend: dry regions across the globe are expanding at an alarming pace, particularly from southwestern North America to Central America. Researchers, utilizing NASA's GRACE data, discovered these areas are drying out at a staggering rate—twice the size of California each year—while wet regions grow more slowly.

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Story summary

A groundbreaking study in Science Advances reveals a startling trend: dry regions across the globe are expanding at an alarming pace, particularly from southwestern North America to Central America. Researchers, utilizing NASA's GRACE data, discovered these areas are drying out at a staggering rate—twice the size of California each year—while wet regions grow more slowly.