Current:Home > FinanceA look at atmospheric rivers, the long bands of water vapor that form over oceans and fuel storms-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
A look at atmospheric rivers, the long bands of water vapor that form over oceans and fuel storms
View Date:2024-12-23 16:57:26
The storm that pummeled California this week was fueled by an atmospheric river, a plume of moisture that extended across the Pacific to near Hawaii. Here’s a look at the phenomenon:
___
WHAT IS AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER?
Atmospheric rivers are long and relatively narrow bands of water vapor that form over an ocean and flow through the sky, transporting much of the moisture from the tropics to northern latitudes.
They occur globally but are especially significant on the West Coast of the United States, where they create 30% to 50% of annual precipitation and are vital to water supplies but also can cause storms that produce flooding and mudslides, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Formed by winds associated with cyclones, atmospheric rivers typically range from 250 miles to 375 miles (400 to 600 kilometers) in width and move under the influence of other weather.
Many atmospheric river events are weak. But the powerful ones can transport extraordinary amounts of moisture. Studies have shown that they can carry seven to 15 times the average amount of water discharged daily by the Mississippi River, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Forty-six atmospheric rivers made landfall on the U.S. West Coast during water year 2023, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes. Nine were categorized as strong, two were extreme and one was exceptional. California experienced extensive flooding and massive snowfall.
___
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER REACHES LAND?
When the moisture-laden air moves over mountain ranges such as the Sierra Nevada along the California-Nevada line, the water vapor rises and cools, becoming heavy precipitation that falls as rain or snow, according to NOAA.
While traditional cold winter storms out of the north Pacific build the Sierra snowpack, atmospheric rivers tend to be warm. Snow may still fall at the highest elevations but rain usually falls on the snowpack at lower elevations. That can quickly prompt melting, runoff and flooding and decrease the snowpack needed for California’s water supply.
___
WHAT IS A PINEAPPLE EXPRESS?
It is a nickname for a strong atmospheric river in the tropical Pacific near Hawaii.
___
WHERE DID THE TERM ATMOSPHERIC RIVER COME FROM?
The name came from research published in the 1990s by scientists Yong Zhu and Reginald E. Newell of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Atmospheric rivers are often referred to as ARs.
veryGood! (25514)
Related
- Jason Statham Shares Rare Family Photos of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Their Kids on Vacation
- Flamin' Hot Cheetos 'inventor' sues Frito-Lay alleging 'smear campaign'
- It’s a college football player’s paradise, where dreams and reality meet in new EA Sports video game
- Gaza war protesters hold a ‘die-in’ near the White House as Netanyahu meets with Biden, Harris
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- Daughter of late Supreme Court Justice Scalia appointed to Virginia Board of Education
- Exclusive: Tennis star Coco Gauff opens up on what her Olympic debut at Paris Games means
- Prisoners fight against working in heat on former slave plantation, raising hope for change in South
- McDonald's Version: New Bestie Bundle meals celebrate Swiftie friendship bracelets
- 'A beautiful soul': Arizona college student falls to death from Yosemite's Half Dome cables
Ranking
- Can't afford a home? Why becoming a landlord might be the best way to 'house hack.'
- Texas woman gets 15 years for stealing nearly $109M from Army to buy mansions, cars
- Cleansing Balms & Oils To Remove Summer Makeup, From Sunscreen to Waterproof Mascara
- Texas city strips funding for monthly art event over drag show
- Why was Jalen Ramsey traded? Dolphins CB facing former team on 'Monday Night Football'
- Get an Extra 40% Off Madewell Sale Styles, 75% Off Lands' End, $1.95 Bath & Body Works Deals & More
- Casey Kaufhold, US star women's archer, driven by appetite to follow Olympic greatness
- Olympians Are Putting Cardboard Beds to the Ultimate Test—But It's Not What You Think
Recommendation
-
Judge weighs the merits of a lawsuit alleging ‘Real Housewives’ creators abused a cast member
-
Judge threatens to sanction Hunter Biden’s legal team over ‘false statements’ in a court filing
-
San Diego Padres in playoff hunt despite trading superstar Juan Soto: 'Vibes are high'
-
Indiana man competent for trial in police officer’s killing
-
Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy a Broadway Date Night and All that Jazz
-
Kamala Harris: A Baptist with a Jewish husband and a faith that traces back to MLK and Gandhi
-
Alabama taps state and federal agencies to address crime in Montgomery
-
An 11-year-old Virginia boy is charged with making swatting calls to Florida schools