Rising global temperatures are expected to raise sea level, and change precipitation
and other local climate conditions. Changing regional climate could alter forests,
crop yields, and water supplies. It could also affect human health, animals, and
many types of ecosystems. Deserts may expand into existing rangelands, and features
of some of our National Parks may be permanently altered.
Most of the United States is expected to warm, although sulfates may limit warming
in some areas. Scientists currently are unable to determine which parts of the United
States will become wetter or drier, but there is likely to be an overall trend toward
increased precipitation and evaporation, more intense rainstorms, and drier soils.
Unfortunately, many of the potentially most important impacts depend
upon whether rainfall increases or decreases, which can not be reliably projected
for specific areas.
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