Did you know that there are rivers in the sky? These are called atmospheric rivers. They are long and narrow columns of water vapour found in the sky. Atmospheric rivers are about 250 to 375 miles wide. They start in the tropics and extend to higher latitude areas. According to scientists, ARs can carry seven-point-five to fifteen times the average volume of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. The atmospheric river water can enter the mainland, reach the mountains, and generate snowfall and rainfall. Atmospheric rivers can also produce storms and natural disasters when they are massive. When playing your 50 free spins games online, take the time to study atmospheric rivers and storms.

West coasts and ARs

ARs are the top source of water on the West Coast in the USA. They also pose the highest risk of catastrophes on the west coasts of Chile, South Africa, Western Europe, and Portugal. In the US, intense storms that ferry moisture from Hawaii to the West Coast are atmospheric storms called “Pineapple Express”. 

When the Pacific Ocean waters become warm, evaporation starts to happen. It then causes a high concentration of moisture in the sky. Then, the prevailing ocean currents provide distinct shapes to the atmospheric rivers. After blowing over the dry land, the high volumes of moisture they carry start to cool and condense, causing a heavy rainfall or snowfall. 

Classification of AR storms

A storm has to reach an IVT of 250units to qualify as an AR. If you are wondering what an IVT (Integrated Water Vapor) is, it is a unit of measurement for classifying atmospheric rivers. An IVT unit includes the amount of water vapour and the current that moves the vapour around in the sky. If an AR has an IVT of one thousand or more, they classify it as an extreme AR.  

The risks of ARs

In California, fifty per cent of annual rainfall and sixty-five per cent of seasonal rainfall comes from atmospheric rivers’ activity. The area also faces one or two dozen AR storms each year. If an AR storm activity is extreme, it can destroy lives and properties. An AR storm is extreme when it extends for a longer duration than a day. AR storms are risky because they can lead to mudslides, flooding, and ash flow where there have been wildfires.  

Although atmospheric storms are not tornados or hurricanes, they can be so powerful as well. West coasts residents are more conversant in these giant storms than the rest of the world. Unfortunately, scientists find it hard to forecast atmospheric river storms with their satellites. The problem is that higher latitude clouds make them look unclear, causing the satellites to collect only negligible data about them. However, scientists are making bigger efforts to understand the ARs phenomenon. For instance, they are using dropsondes sensors to explore atmospheric rivers and storms.

Final Word

According to a recent National Climate Assessment report, atmospheric rivers are an extreme weather threat now. If the atmosphere continues to get warmer, the atmospheric rivers will contain more water vapor. As implied by this post, more moisture can make ARs more intense. When intense, giant atmospheric rivers can lead to catastrophes.

Donald Phillips