Long, narrow bands of moving moisture in the sky, known as atmospheric rivers, contribute to heatwaves in the marine environment, according to a new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Long, narrow bands of moving moisture in the sky, known as atmospheric rivers, contribute to heatwaves in the marine environment, according to a new study published in Nature Communications by researchers from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. The study, which received funding from NASA, is the first to analyze the association between these “rivers in the sky” and marine heatwaves, paving the way for future research on the mechanisms at play and how climate change factors in.
Marine heatwaves are periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures that last for weeks or even months. Because many marine organisms acclimate to seasonal water temperatures, periodic spikes in ocean temperature can have severe ecological consequences, with repercussions for coastal communities and economies.
Atmospheric rivers, meanwhile, are transient weather systems that often cause extreme rainfall and flooding over land, such as in the western United States and western Europe. Before atmospheric rivers reach land, however, they spend most of their time over oceans, where they can influence sea surface temperatures through various processes that move heat around.
“We wanted to see if these interactions between atmosphere and sea surface might play a role in marine heatwaves,” says Shineng Hu, an assistant professor of climate dynamics at the Nicholas School, who authored the study with postdoctoral associate Suqiong Hu.
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