Abstract
One of the most robust signals of climate change is the relentless rise in global mean surface temperature, which is linked closely with the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere. A more humid atmosphere will lead to enhanced moisture transport due to, among other factors, an intensification of atmospheric rivers (ARs) activity, which are an important mechanism of moisture advection from subtropical to extra-tropical regions. Here we show an enhanced evapotranspiration rates in association with landfalling atmospheric river events. These anomalous moisture uptake (AMU) locations are identified on a global scale. The interannual variability of AMU displays a significant increase over the period 1980-2017, close to the Clausius-Clapeyron (CC) scaling, at 7 % per degree of surface temperature rise. These findings are consistent with an intensification of AR predicted by future projections. Our results also reveal generalized significant increases in AMU at the regional scale and an asymmetric supply of oceanic moisture, in which the maximum values are located over the region known as the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool (WHWP) centred on the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Highlights
One of the most robust signals of climate change is the relentless rise in global mean surface temperature, which is linked closely with the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere
The current relentless rise in global mean surface temperature is closely linked to the increase in atmospheric water vapor[16,17], and the greater availability of water vapor favors a larger transport of moisture, and an intensification of extreme precipitation events and floods triggered by ARs18–20
atmospheric rivers (ARs) are expected to become increasingly intense and to increase in frequency[19,29,37], likely escalating their socioeconomic impact[38]. It is not known how the moisture transported by ARs will change, the projected increase of 30–40% in the vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) in the storm tracks of the Pacific and North Atlantic[18], together with the fact that 9 out of 10 liters of the water vapor that reach extra-tropical latitudes do so via ARs3, points to an increase in the amount of moisture transport as the temperature rises[24]
Summary
One of the most robust signals of climate change is the relentless rise in global mean surface temperature, which is linked closely with the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere. We show an enhanced evapotranspiration rates in association with landfalling atmospheric river events These anomalous moisture uptake (AMU) locations are identified on a global scale. The current relentless rise in global mean surface temperature is closely linked to the increase in atmospheric water vapor[16,17], and the greater availability of water vapor favors a larger transport of moisture, and an intensification of extreme precipitation events and floods triggered by ARs18–20. Simulations of climate warming have shown more intense and frequent ARs19,25,27–30, which could lead to higher total rainfall and flooding in midlatitude land masses It remains unclear which areas provide anomalous moisture to the ARs, and whether these show trends linked with global warming. Overall these results highlight the importance of further intensification of AR predicted by future projections
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