Tenochtitlan dams Mexico City flooding

Lost dams left Mexico City prone to floods

The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan used dams to separate salty lake water from rainwater and control the level of Lake Texcoco. Spanish forces destroyed the dams during the 1521 siege, and they were never rebuilt. Flooding became a major problem for Mexico City, later built over the site.

The Incas often ruled conquered lands through local rulers

After conquering a region, the Incas often brought the children of local rulers to Cusco for education. The children could later return home and rule within the Inca system. The empire combined military conquest with a way of bringing local leaders into its own political culture.

A collapse of North Atlantic circulation could shift rainfall south

If a major North Atlantic ocean current system became much weaker, the Northern Hemisphere would tend to get less rain and longer dry periods, while parts of the Southern Hemisphere would become wetter. Europe could also cool, and sea level could rise faster along parts of North America's east coast.

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Tenochtitlan dams Mexico City flooding

Lost dams left Mexico City prone to floods

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