Until supplies approach a trickle—or a torrent—public attention seldom focuses on water issues. But water is consistently Topic A for a wide-ranging group of researchers.

As rising temperatures melt glaciers around the world, scientists are tracking the changes and helping glacier-dependent regions adapt to a changing water supply.

One of the largest bodies of water in the United States, the Ogallala Aquifer, lies underground. Crucial to life in the U.S. Great Plains, it's one of many aquifers around the world under stress as water demands increase. Satellite data are now painting a richer picture of how these water stores are evolving.

Whether you’re looking at the next few weeks or the next few decades, many parts of the United States are likely to face the silent but devastating impacts of drought.

July 2012 promises to go down as the hottest month ever recorded in a number of U.S. locations.