Global semi-arid climate change over last 60 years

This study analyzes areal changes and regional climate variations in global semi-arid regions over 61 years (1948–2008) and investigates the dynamics of global semi-arid climate change. The results reveal that the largest expansion of drylands has occurred in semi-arid regions since the early 1960s. This expansion of semi-arid regions accounts for more than half of the total dryland expansion. The area of semi-arid regions in the most recent 15 years studied (1990–2004) is 7 % larger than that during the first 15 years (1948–1962) of the study period; this expansion totaled 0.4 × 106 and 1.2 × 106 km2 within the American continents and in the Eastern Hemisphere, respectively. Although semi-arid expansion…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Award: 41175134
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 41305060, 41175134
• HE
  Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project

  Award: B13045
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2012CB955301
• FR
  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

  Award: lzujbky-2015-ct03