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HYDROLOGY

Greenhouse gases strengthen atmospheric rivers

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Atmospheric rivers substantially affect the global hydrologic cycle, yet their response to past and future anthropogenic forcing remains highly uncertain. New research reveals the counterbalancing effects of aerosols and greenhouse gases and how this balance will shift to favour stronger atmospheric rivers in the coming decades.

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Fig. 1: Catastrophic river flooding along California’s Russian River.

Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies.

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Correspondence to Breanna L. Zavadoff.

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Zavadoff, B.L. Greenhouse gases strengthen atmospheric rivers. Nat. Clim. Chang. 11, 904–905 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01181-9

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