It seems that humans weren't the only ones sweating during our scorching summer in the United States. Corn sweat contributed to heat waves in the central part of the country, making the heat worse by adding more moisture to the air.
What's happening?
Corn sweat is a type of evapotranspiration. The definition of evapotranspiration from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is "the sum of all processes by which water moves from the land surface to the atmosphere via evaporation and transpiration."
"It is the plants reacting to that warmer weather. They also then need more moisture, so they're uptaking more from stored-underground water and bringing that up to the atmosphere that we're in," Chris Clark, an agronomist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in an interview with Green Bay's WFRV-TV, per the Guardian.
The amount of moisture from "sweat" that corn and other crops release into the atmosphere is astounding. One acre of corn can release 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water daily, according to the USGS.
Why is corn sweat important?
Corn sweat can make heat waves more harsh by increasing the relative humidity of the air. This is most prevalent in the Midwest, home to the country's highest-corn-producing states, such as Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska.
A heat wave in late August sent temperatures soaring to nearly 100 degrees in Chicago. According to the National Weather Service, the city hit a record-breaking high of 99 degrees on Aug. 27, NBC Chicago reported. When the relative humidity was taken into consideration, the heat index value, or feels-like temperature, reached as high as 115 degrees at O'Hare International Airport.
Heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates around 1,220 people are killed by extreme heat every year in our country.
A research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found heat-related deaths have risen sharply, by 117% from 1999 to 2023, as the Guardian summarized.
What's being done about extreme heat?
The buildup of heat-trapping gases in our planet's atmosphere is making heat waves longer-lasting, more intense, and more frequent. This summer featured several record-breaking heat waves.
Even though builders are using cutting-edge home designs to withstand heat waves, and cities in Europe are testing a promising new method for dealing with summer heat, it is clear that we need to cool our overheated planet.
Talking about climate issues with your family and friends and advocating for change at work are some places to start. You can also have your voice heard at the ballot box by voting for pro-climate candidates.
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