what caused california drought
Causes of the Drought in California. The drought is believed to be caused in part by a mass of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that has drifted closer to the West Coast recently. The warm water formation, known as âthe blob,â has persisted in about the same location for over two years, and is about a thousand miles across and 300 feet deep.
Credit Damon Winter/The New York Times. 1  Global warming caused by human emissions has most likely intensified the drought in California by 15 to 20 percent, scientists said on Thursday, warning that future dry spells in the state are almost certain to be worse than this one as the world continues to heat up.
Another factor influencing the drought is the form of precipitation â because of the way water resources are managed in California, snow is more beneficial than rain for drought relief. California relies upon the buildup of a snowpack in the winter to melt into runoff in the spring for the stateâs water supply.