As droughts continue to affect residents in New Mexico, Professor Emeritus David Gutzler, who is an expert in earth and planetary sciences at the University of New Mexico, is engaging with the public and peers about the state's long history of droughts, which he says dates back thousands of years and even to the last ice age. 

“Drought in our state has been a fact of life for people and wildlife and plants that grow here for forever, since the last ice age," Gutzler said.

Drought conditions have improved in recent weeks, but Gutzler thinks the relief will be short-lived and warned residents that drought conditions are likely to continue to return. 

The monsoon season has brought an improvement to the drought level in many regions statewide. Before that, wildfires were rampant in the state. This season brought the two largest wildfires in state history, fueled by dry weather and soil. 

“It will take more than one summer of good local rains to help that situation in a big way," Gutzler said.