A new study reveals that climate change may lead to the formation of the phenomenon known as “atmospheric rivers”, also referred to as “rivers in the sky”, causing record rainfall in the East Asia region.
According to the Daily Mail (UK), scientists at Tsukuba University (Japan) developed a model to study the behavior of atmospheric rivers and extreme rainfall in East Asia, based on meteorological data collected from 1951 to 2010, with predictions extending to 2090. The research team found that if temperatures increase by an additional 4 degrees Celsius, in the worst-case scenario, atmospheric rivers will become more frequent, leading to unprecedented record rainfall across the region.
Forecasts indicate that the southwestern slopes of the Alps will experience record rainfall in the near future. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Professor Yoichi Kamae, an environmental scientist at Tsukuba University and the study’s author, stated that the phenomenon of atmospheric rivers will occur on the southern and western mountain slopes of East Asia, causing record rainfall in areas including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and northeastern China. The southwestern slopes of the Japanese Alps are expected to see the highest rainfall.
“Global warming is becoming increasingly evident, and it does not just lead to rising Earth temperatures. As the name suggests, atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of water vapor flowing through the atmosphere. When one of these bands encounters an obstacle, such as a mountain range, it can produce extremely large amounts of rain or snowfall,” the scientists explained.
Extreme phenomena, such as heavy rainfall, flooding, and heatwaves, are occurring more frequently and severely worldwide. Researchers warn that this creates an urgent need for forecasting and preparing response scenarios for the future.
East Asian countries have suffered significant impacts from extreme weather events over the past decade. The region has witnessed extreme rainfall in July 2018 and July 2020. Some countries have paid a heavy price socially, including the loss of human lives. Therefore, the research group argues that predicting rainfall in this region, as the climate continues to change, is crucially important.
Although the analysis focused solely on East Asia, the research team noted that their predictions could also apply to other mid-latitude regions with steep mountain ranges, including Europe and North America. Creating simulations based on various climate change scenarios allows scientists to predict the impacts of different weather phenomena as the Earth warms.
“Our findings could also apply to other mid-latitude areas where the interaction between atmospheric rivers and steep mountains plays a significant role in influencing rainfall, such as in western North America and Europe. These regions may also experience extreme rainfall events more frequently and intensely as the climate warms,” Professor Kamae added.
The new findings have been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
