Method discovered to capture extreme weather phenomena

Scientists at an Austrian university have discovered a method to accurately understand the evolution of so-called "atmospheric rivers." These extreme phenomena occur on coastal areas and can contain up to twice as much water as the Amazon River.

The newly developed technique allows for a much more detailed image of these bands of water vapor concentrated in the atmosphere, according to three scientists from the University of Graz, in southern Austria , in an article published this week in the scientific journal Atmospheric Measurement Techniques.

According to Ulrich Foelsche, one of the authors of the study, these "rivers" of concentrated water vapor have so far been observed primarily using passive microwave sensors on satellites.

"These data provide a good estimate of the amount of water vapor, but they do not provide information about its vertical distribution, which is essential for understanding its dynamics ," said the meteorologist, who developed the new solution with his colleagues Bahareh Rahimi and Linda Martina Maier.

The new tool allows researchers to obtain an "X-ray" of the air to understand how these atmospheric rivers are generated and move, causing intense rainfall, strong winds, and flooding in coastal areas, such as those that have occurred in recent years in the United States, Africa, and Europe.

In Europe , the most affected areas are the Iberian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, and France, explain the Graz experts.

To carry out the study, scientists focused on analyzing the behavior of atmospheric rivers over Africa , as it is a continent where these rivers are increasingly being recognized as key elements in the formation of extreme weather events .

"Understanding the dynamics of atmospheric rivers in Africa is critical to improving climate resilience, water management, and understanding extreme rainfall events," the study's authors emphasize.

For their research, the three experts identified more than 1,700 atmospheric rivers that affected the African continent between 2009 and 2019.

The analysis also found that the main sources of moisture are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.

Foelsche also warned that with ongoing climate change, these atmospheric rivers are likely to become even more intense in the future.

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