Global warming was primary cause of unprecedented Amazon drought, study finds

BY FABIANO MAISONNAVE
Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Human-induced global warming, and not El Niño, was the primary driver of the severe drought in the Amazon last year that sent rivers to record lows, isolated hundreds of river communities and killed dozens of endangered dolphins. That’s according to researchers from World Weather Attribution, which works to rapidly analyze extreme events and their possible connection to climate change. The drought in the world´s largest rainforest and crucial carbon sink came as Earth endured its hottest year on record. One study co-author says it was that intense heat that drove evaporation that was critical in the drought’s severity.