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Observing and Detecting Atmospheric Rivers

From Satellites to Aircraft, Radars, AR Observatories, Regional Mesonets, Reanalyses, and AR Detection Methods

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Atmospheric Rivers

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Abstract

How do we observe and detect ARs? Observing systems provide ground truth of the main AR ingredients, such as water vapor and wind, and process information on AR mechanisms and effects. Gridded atmospheric reanalysis products allow us to study ARs from historical, regional, and global perspectives. Detection methods are also critical to identifying ARs in regional and global models in order to evaluate their performance in simulating and predicting ARs, as well as to determine how ARs will behave in the future, based on global climate projections. The first three sections of this chapter describe some of the observing technologies used to monitor ARs, such as (1) satellite data, which help to provide a global context; (2) AR observatories: land-based collections of instruments that help track ARs as they make landfall; (3) other ground-based observations that track ARs as they penetrate inland; (4) airborne and other measurements from major research field experiments devoted to understanding ARs, as well as AR Reconnaissance (Recon) airborne efforts to better predict ARs; (5) the representation of ARs in reanalyses; and (6) the evolution of methods used to identify ARs and describes some of the AR climatologies that have been created using these techniques.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Marty Ralph (NOAA) and Mike Dettinger (Scripps Institution of Oceanography and USGS) originally developed the vision for this proposal, with input from many others. It was managed by a Program Management Council consisting of Gary Bardini (DWR; sponsor), Marty Ralph (NOAA; Proposal/Contract PI), and David Cayan (Scripps and USGS; Partner). The Program Management Council oversaw execution by the Project Management Team, which was led by Allen White (NOAA), and included Michael Anderson (DWR) and Mike Dettinger (Scripps and USGS).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    F. Martin Ralph

  2. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, CO, USA

    Allen B. White & Gary A. Wick

  3. State of California Department of Water Resources, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Michael L. Anderson

  4. Science and Technology Infusion Division, National Weather Service, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Jonathan J. Rutz

Authors
  1. F. Martin Ralph
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  2. Allen B. White
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  3. Gary A. Wick
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  4. Michael L. Anderson
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  5. Jonathan J. Rutz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Allen B. White .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    F. Martin Ralph

  2. Retired, U.S. Geological Survey, Carson City, NV, USA

    Michael D. Dettinger

  3. Science and Technology Infusion Division, National Weather Service, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Jonathan J. Rutz

  4. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Duane E. Waliser

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Ralph, F.M., White, A.B., Wick, G.A., Anderson, M.L., Rutz, J.J. (2020). Observing and Detecting Atmospheric Rivers. In: Ralph, F., Dettinger, M., Rutz, J., Waliser, D. (eds) Atmospheric Rivers. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28906-5_3

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