loading page

Atmospheric Rivers in the Eastern and Midwestern United States Associated with Baroclinic Waves
  • +4
  • Travis Allen O'Brien,
  • Burlen Loring,
  • Amanda Dufek,
  • Mohammad Rubaiat Islam,
  • Diya Kamnani,
  • Kwesi Twentwewa Quagraine,
  • Cody Kirkpatrick
Travis Allen O'Brien
Indiana University Bloomington

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Burlen Loring
Lawrence Berkeley Lab
Author Profile
Amanda Dufek
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Author Profile
Mohammad Rubaiat Islam
Indiana University Bloomington
Author Profile
Diya Kamnani
Indiana University Bloomington
Author Profile
Kwesi Twentwewa Quagraine
Indiana University Bloomington
Author Profile
Cody Kirkpatrick
Indiana University Bloomington
Author Profile

Abstract

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) significantly impact the hydrological cycle and associated extremes in western continental regions. Recent studies suggest ARs also influence water resources and extremes in continental interiors. AR detection tools indicate that AR conditions are relatively frequent in areas east of the Rocky Mountains. The origin of these ARs, whether from synoptic-scale waves or mesoscale processes, is unclear. This study uses meteorological composite maps and transects of AR conditions during the four seasons. The analysis reveals that ARs east of the Rockies are associated with a long-wave baroclinic Rossby wave. This result demonstrates that eastern and midwestern ARs are dynamically similar to their western coastal counterparts, though mechanisms for vertical moisture flux differ between the two. These findings provide a foundation for understanding future climate change and ARs in this region and offer new methods for evaluating climate model simulations.
14 Nov 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
14 Nov 2023Published in ESS Open Archive
28 Apr 2024Published in Geophysical Research Letters volume 51 issue 8. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107236