An atmospheric river (AR) is a narrow corridor or filament of concentrated moisture in the atmosphere. Other names for this phenomenon are tropical plume, tropical connection, moisture plume, water vapor surge, and cloud band. [1][2]

Dec 24, 2024 · An atmospheric river is any long, narrow, and concentrated horizontal corridor of moisture in Earth’s troposphere that transports vast amounts of water vapor and heat from tropical regions near the Equator toward the middle and higher latitudes.

Atmospheric rivers are large, narrow sections of the Earth’s atmosphere that carry moisture from the Earth’s tropics near the equator to the poles. On average, the Earth has four to five active atmospheric rivers at any time.

Mar 31, 2023 · A strong atmospheric river that is capable of bringing moisture from the tropics near Hawaii over to the U.S. West Coast. Not all atmospheric rivers cause damage; most are weak systems that often provide beneficial rain or snow that is crucial to the water supply.

Mar 14, 2024 · What is the Atmospheric River? The Anatomy of an Atmospheric River. Moisture Transport: The Driving Force; Shape and Size: Defining Characteristics; Low-Level Jet: The Engine; How Atmospheric Rivers Form. Synoptic Weather Patterns; Upper-Level Dynamics; Orographic Effects; Impacts of Atmospheric Rivers. Beneficial Aspects: Water Supply

what is an atmospheric river? The term atmospheric river is used to indicate narrow, elongated corridors of concentrated moisture transport associated with extratropical cyclones. Atmospheric rivers are the largest transport mechanisms of freshwater on Earth.

Feb 2, 2024 · 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...

Jan 29, 2025 · Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow plumes of moisture transported by winds from the tropics. When they move over land, their heavy precipitation can trigger flooding and landslides....

Feb 1, 2024 · When atmospheric rivers run up against mountains or run into local atmospheric dynamics and are forced to ascend, the moisture they carry cools and condenses, so they can produce intense...

An atmospheric river is a large band of moisture in the atmosphere, usually thousands of miles/kilometers long and hundreds of miles/kilometers wide. Atmospheric rivers transport substantial quantities of water vapor, which later precipitates as rain or snow (image below).