Climate change is in the news frequently these days, and better-informed commentators note that changes in the water cycle pose the greatest challenge to society. We may be able to deal with an increase in temperature with a bit more air conditioning, but significant intensification in droughts and floods will be a more severe test. Civilization thrives at a range of temperatures at different latitudes, but it cannot cope without water. Thus, a number of national and international programs have been organized to assess and understand the “global water cycle.”

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