Atmospheric river: moisture flow causing natural disasters

A recent post from Scripps Institution of Oceanography about the Pacific Northwest and California.

In an article published in The Conversation, Qian Cao, a hydrologist who also works at the research institution, University of California, San Diego, USA, wrote: Explains the concept of “atmospheric rivers” and how these sometimes very violent storms are essential for the water supply in affected areas.

Atmospheric rivers, which are essential elements in the transport of water through the atmosphere, play a critical role in the distribution of water across the planet. However, in certain cases, the concentration of moisture in one of these “rivers” can cause heavy rains, which can cause flooding and affect some areas.

What is an atmospheric river?

CW3E AR Update: The first of two powerful ARs touched down in BC and the PNW today, continuing the period of active weather over the USWC. The second strong AR is expected to make landfall on Tuesday and move towards the coast, the speed at which it moves will likely affect how much impact it has… pic.twitter.com/jW5gbEmZGn

— CW3E Scripps (@CW3E_Scripps) January 29, 2024

Call An atmospheric river is nothing but a narrow band or concentrated filament of water vapor moving through the atmosphere.. These air currents, which flow across the sky like a terrestrial river, can reach lengths of 1,600 kilometers with a flow rate that can be twice the normal flow of the Amazon River.

These rivers, which regularly carry evaporated water from oceanic areas to land areas, exist all over the world and are forced to rise when they hit mountains or enter atmospheric dynamics. When this occurs, the moisture they carry cools and condenses, causing torrential rain or heavy snowfall.

Although they occur all over the planet, atmospheric rivers are more concentrated in the mid-latitudes, in regions between the tropics and the polar regions, according to Cao. This causes countries such as the United States, Canada, parts of Europe, China and Japan to experience more pronounced seasonal changes than countries closer to the equator, such as Brazil.

Why are atmospheric rivers dangerous and necessary at the same time?

“Families” in hydrological dynamics Rivers known as cascading atmospheric rivers are the most dangerous as they can cause severe flooding. Additionally, as rainfall continues in soils that cannot absorb more water, river floods occur and affect urban infrastructure. Therefore, continuous monitoring and forecasting of atmospheric rivers is required to warn populations and reduce risks.

But as a research hydrologist, Cao On the importance of atmospheric rivers in water supply in the West. According to him, these atmospheric currents were responsible for ending more than a third of the region’s major droughts, as they “provide an average of 30% to 50% of the West Coast’s annual precipitation.” They are also responsible for 30% to 40% of accumulated snow, the hydrologist says.

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