ATMOSPHERIC
RIVER - GEOGRAPHY
News:
Atmospheric river: Three
killed as record rainfall drenches California
What's
in the news?
●
At least three people have been killed by
falling trees as a powerful storm drenches California bringing flooding, mudslides
and power outages.
Atmospheric
River:
●
The atmospheric river is a long, narrow band of moisture-filled air
that transports significant amounts of water vapor from the tropics to higher
latitudes.
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The Atmospheric River is often associated
with mT (Maritime Tropical) air mass.
●
When these rivers make landfall, they release this moisture as
intense precipitation, which can
manifest as either rain or snow depending on the altitude and temperature.
●
According to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the water vapor they carry is roughly
equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
●
So, when they make
landfall and release all that water, they can cause extreme flooding.
Pineapple
Express:
●
The "Pineapple Express" is a
well-known example of atmospheric river storms that bring heavy rainfall to the US West Coast, particularly California.
●
This name originates from the fact that
these storms draw moisture from the tropical waters near the Hawaiian Islands,
resembling a "express" train of moisture originating from the
vicinity of Hawaii, which is often associated with pineapples.
●
This atmospheric river is driven by a
strong southern branch of the polar jet stream and transports humid, warm mT
air from as far away as the Hawaiian Islands