It's been becoming more and more clear that global warming means more than just warmer temperatures.
It's been becoming more and more clear that global warming means more than just warmer temperatures. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense in many different parts of the world, creating an urgent need to predict and prepare for these changes.
In a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, a research team led by the University of Tsukuba has reported on model results predicting more frequent and severe extreme rainfall events over East Asia caused by a weather phenomenon called "atmospheric rivers."
As the name suggests, atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of concentrated water vapor flowing through the atmosphere. When one of these bands meets a barrier, such as a mountain range, it can produce extreme levels of rainfall or snowfall.
Portions of East Asia have experienced damaging extreme events like this frequently in the last decade, sometimes with severe societal costs, and understanding how this phenomenon is likely to develop in the future as the climate continues to change is crucial.
Read more at University of Tsukuba
Image: Water vapor flow (Credit: University of Tsukuba)
