What is an atmospheric river? With flooding and mudslides in California, a hydrologist explains the good and bad of these storms and how they’re changing

Wed, 6 Mar 2024 05:21:59 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

Andrew Pam
<https://theconversation.com/what-is-an-atmospheric-river-with-flooding-and-mudslides-in-california-a-hydrologist-explains-the-good-and-bad-of-these-storms-and-how-theyre-changing-222249>

"Millions of Californians were under flood alerts as a powerful atmospheric
river brought heavy rain to the West Coast in early February 2024. Los Angeles
saw one of its wettest days on record with over 4 inches of rain on Feb. 4.
Other communities were hit by more than 12 inches of rain and reported
widespread flooding. Debris and mudslides shut down sections of highways and
roads into Malibu.

It was the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers to bring extreme rainfall
to the West Coast. While these storms are dreaded for the damage they can
cause, they are also essential to the region’s water supply, particularly in
California, as Qian Cao, a hydrologist at the University of California, San
Diego, explains."

Cheers,
       *** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net               Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/                 Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/            Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/               Manager, Serious Cybernetics

Comment via email

Home E-Mail Sponsors Index Search About Us