[ RadSafe ] USA Drought

[Joseph Preisig]

Radsafe,
      Here is an email which revises my estimate of the recent drought
in California and elsewhere.   1932-1934 or so was the time period
about which the dustbowl (Midwestern USA) occured for a decade or so.
Real estimates of the length of that drought would be appreciated.
     I suspect drought in the USA occurs at times at which the icecaps
are refreezing, and thus water becomes less available for rain at
global mid-latitudes.
     The peaks in Earth polar motion amplitude (Chandler wobbles,
Annual wobble) occur in 1910, 1954, 1998, 2042???.  1932 is a time
between the 1910 and 1954 peaks --- drought occured then.  The next
mid-point peak is 2020 --- midpoint of the current drought????  VLBI
data (NASA Goddard) can be used to find when the actual peaks are.
      I originally thought the California drought would last 10 years,
but Caldrought has already gone on for 4 years.  So, perhaps the
California drought will actully last for about 18 years.  Conservation
is a must.  (2020 +/- 9 years)???
      I am not currently in a position to compute these numbers
better, but perhaps Richard Gross at JPL, Dickman at SUNY/Binghamton
or Chopo Ma at NASA Goddard could look at the VLBI data more
accurately.
     Regards,    Joe Preisig