Study indicates that cities in arid climates, such as Phoenix, may be creating an artificial environment that is affecting rainfall patterns in the surrounding desert.
A recent article on LiveScience explains how a new study is investigating how lawns, irrigation, man-made lakes, and thousands of pools have increased the annual rainfall by as much as 12-14% in the Northeast suburbs and rural areas of Phoenix.
The study was published in the online journal Journal of Arid Environments.
An abstract is available here.