Global Atmospheric River Lifecycle Detection Using Integrated Water Vapor and Vapor Transport
1University of Washington, Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science, Seattle, USA. bkerns@uw.edu.
Scientific Data
|December 8, 2025
Summary
A new method detects atmospheric rivers (ARs) using both integrated water vapor transport (IVT) and total precipitable water (TPW). This global approach tracks ARs throughout their entire lifecycle, improving upon existing methods.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Science
- Meteorology
- Climate Science
Background:
- Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are crucial for global water transport but lack a unified definition.
- Current detection methods often rely solely on integrated water vapor transport (IVT) or total precipitable water (TPW), limiting global lifecycle tracking.
- Existing techniques may fail to capture the complete AR phenomenon across its full duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel global Atmospheric River Lifecycle Detection (ARLiD) method.
- To develop a comprehensive 44-year database of ARs using a dual-metric approach.
- To enhance the tracking of ARs by incorporating both IVT and TPW for improved lifecycle analysis.
Main Methods:
- Developed the global Atmospheric River Lifecycle Detection (ARLiD) method.
- Integrated both integrated water vapor transport (IVT) and total precipitable water (TPW) for AR detection.
- Created a 44-year database of atmospheric river events.
Main Results:
- The ARLiD method successfully tracks ARs globally throughout their entire lifecycles.
- Incorporating TPW alongside IVT provides consistency and reduces uncertainties in AR identification.
- ARLiD extends AR detection equatorward and poleward, capturing previously missed portions of events.
Conclusions:
- The ARLiD method offers a more complete and consistent approach to atmospheric river detection and tracking.
- The 44-year database provides valuable data for studying AR impacts and climate interactions.
- This dual-metric approach enhances the understanding of AR behavior across their full life cycles.
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