Department of Earth Sciences - Fall 2024 Seminar Series
Juan Lora - Yale University
Friday, November 1st
12:30PM
McHugh 301
Atmospheric rivers in past, present, and future climates
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are transient regions of strong moisture transport in Earth’s mid-latitude atmosphere that account for most of the poleward flux of moisture despite their relatively small areas. ARs have been variously linked to extreme precipitation, flooding, polar ice melt, and other hazards. Yet, in part because they are only loosely defined, their role in global energy transport and relationship to surface temperatures have not been fully characterized. Similarly, the variability of ARs and their response to forced climate changes at various timescales, along with their accompanying impacts, remain incompletely understood beyond basic thermodynamic expectations. I will discuss recent progress in refining our understanding of the impacts and variability of ARs across different climate states, from past cold states to future warming, with a particular focus on placing ongoing changes in a broader context.
For more information, contact: Christin Donnelly at christin.donnelly@uconn.edu