Recent study advances understanding of atmospheric rivers and Arctic climate changes

Arctic climate can be influenced by processes far away. Credit: Pixabay

An international group of researchers examined the relationship between atmospheric rivers (ARs), which are long, narrow bands of concentrated water vapor, and Arctic climate. The team included University of California, Santa Barbara scientist Qinghua Ding, who is supported by a grant from the Climate Program Office’s Climate Variability & Predictability (CVP) program. Through transporting moisture from lower latitudes to the Arctic, ARs can significantly impact the Arctic’s climate. In a new study, the researchers describe how large-scale circulation shifts have played a significant role in a recent increase in AR activity, which has contributed to an overall rise in summer moisture in the Arctic.