What are Atmospheric Rivers?

Atmospheric rivers are narrow bands of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere that transport large amounts of water vapor, often causing heavy rainfall, flooding, and extreme weather events when they make landfall.

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Atmospheric Rivers

Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere that transport large amounts of water vapour from the tropics.
When atmospheric rivers pass over land, they can cause conditions similar to those of hurricanes with intense and rapid rainfall, cyclone-force winds and significantly increased wave heights.
They are also called “rivers in the sky”.
One of the most well-known and strongest atmospheric rivers is the Pineapple Express, which transports moisture from the tropical Pacific around Hawaii to the USA and Canada.

Climate Change Impact on Atmospheric Rivers

A 2018 NASA study has predicted that atmospheric rivers will become more intense, longer and wider due to rising global temperatures.
By the end of the 21st century, atmospheric rivers could become 50-290% more frequent in regions like Greenland, western North America, East Asia, western Europe and Antarctica (Phys.com report).