"So...just what is this Water Into Stone: A Dryland Journal about anyway?"
A short intro to a long journey
A version of the above query is likely running through your head right now, dear reader. Since you’ve read the “About” link (see above), and/or made it this far - “Congratulations!;” “Welcome!;” and a hearty virtual high five, fist bump, handshake or friendly hug is in order.
Now, on to an answer, or at least an initial exploration. My ongoing rambles through the interior west of North America keep bumping into conundrums and incongruities, contradictions and conflicts; of interests, of opinions, and of the constant physical struggle of force against mass. For example — of water shaping stone, of land shaping a meander (at least for a time), of old vs. new ways, beliefs, knowledge and opinions. My ongoing inquiry into these phenomena steers my travels, and brings me to information and knowledge from many sources. My goal is to share the excitements, information sources and puzzlements of the journey, and to invite your participation via the comments section of the posts, and by contacting me directly.
My “beat” is the dryland, defined by John Wesley Powell, Wallace Stegner and many more as the land west of the 100th Meridian, a decent marker for the last 150 or so years; that is, until now, as more and more recent research shows an eastward creeping aridification, but more on this in a future post. For now, let’s seek a definition of “dryland” (aka drylands, dry country).
A US Geological Survey website describes them as “…arid and semi-arid zones around the world where water resources are scarce.” Which seems, well, a bit inexact on boundaries, but the next paragraph on this site warns that both the USGS and the “…Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have determined that drylands are one of three regions most vulnerable to climate change.”
So, in light of the increased vulnerabilities of these zones it’s a good idea to know just where we are. A more exact definition seeming to be in order, here’s one I found that should help, from the United Nations Environment Programme Dryland Forestry, that “…defines drylands according to an aridity index (AI), which is the ratio between average annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration; drylands are lands with an AI of less than 0.65. Drylands are further divided, on the basis of AI, into hyper-arid lands, arid lands, semi-arid lands and dry sub-humid lands.”
Using this as a measure, here’s a map of dryland areas and aridity classes of North America from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations…
Follow this link to explore a world atlas of aridity as our earth’s climate adjusts to various forces.
This then, is how it’s going to go, with posts varying in length, passion, and personal details - as we all progress (I hope) toward deeper understandings and insights. Up next, “Aquifers - Principal, Secondary, and Going, going…?” Take care of yourself, and help someone who needs it if you can. - B