Study Air Pollution in Eastern China Causes Drought

We've seen heavy rainfall sweeping across eastern China recently with devastating consequences. But a decrease in light rainfall is proving to be just as damaging. Either way, agriculture is affected. Heavy rains tend to wash away crops and not having enough light rain causes droughts. Well, over the last five decades, rainfall patterns in eastern China have been changing in this direction—and air pollution is to blame, according to a study published on Saturday (August 15) in the Journal of Geophysical Research. A team of Chinese, American and European researchers used mathematical models and looked at 50 years' worth of data. They were trying to see if there was a causal relationship between air pollution and rainfall. Their results show that overall rainfall has remained the same, but there's been more heavy rain and less nourishing light rain. Atmospheric scientist Yun Qian at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who led the study, told the Associated Press (quote): "Besides the health effects, acid rain and other problems that pollution creates, this work suggests that reducing air pollution might help ease the drought in north China." Parts of China's wheat-growing northern regions are currently hit by the worst drought since the 1950s.