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The Conversation USA

What is an atmospheric river? A hydrologist explains the good and bad of these flood-prone storms and how they’re changing

  • Written by Qian Cao, Hydrologist, Center For Western Weather and Water Extremes, University of California, San Diego
imageA satellite image shows a powerful atmospheric river hitting the Pacific Northwest in December 2023. Darker greens are more water vapor.Lauren Dauphin/NASA Earth Observatory

A series of atmospheric rivers is bringing the threat of heavy downpours, flooding, mudslides and avalanches to the Pacific Northwest and California this week. While these...

Read more: What is an atmospheric river? A hydrologist explains the good and bad of these flood-prone storms...

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