Blog Post Image: If a tree falls in Brazil…? Amazon deforestation could mean droughts for western U.S.

Princeton University-led researchers report that the total deforestation of the Amazon may significantly reduce rain and snowfall in the western United States, including a 50 percent reduction in the Sierra Nevada snowpack that is a crucial source of water for cities and farms in California. The simulation showed that the water equivalent of the snowpack by April 1 decreased in range and depth from pre-deforestation levels (left) when the Amazon was cleared (right). The depth is measured in centimeters with the redder areas indicating more snow. (Image by David Medvigy, Department of Geosciences)