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 .

Dec 18, 2019 · Atmospheric rivers are often depicted as narrow structures in the atmosphere linking tropical oceans to higher latitudes. The water vapor along an AR can either originate in the tropics and travel poleward or come from convergence of local moisture along the AR's path.

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.

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...

Jun 16, 2024 · A well-known example of a strong atmospheric river is called the "Pineapple Express" because moisture builds up in the tropical Pacific around Hawaii and can wallop the U.S. and Canada's West Coasts with heavy rainfall and snow.

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...

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.

Apr 6, 2018 · The term "atmospheric river" is a flashy name for a plume of tropical moisture in the atmosphere that can result in heavy rainfall or snowfall in a narrow swath.

Feb 1, 2024 · Atmospheric rivers occur all over the world, most commonly in the mid-latitudes. They form when large-scale weather patterns align to create narrow channels, or filaments, of intense moisture...

Apr 7, 2018 · Atmospheric rivers are responsible for more than 90% of all poleward water vapour transport in the extra-tropics, making them the largest flows of fresh water on Earth – the water volume transported by a single atmospheric river far exceeds that carried by land rivers.