WHOI PO

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) and marine heatwaves (MHWs) are two types of extreme events with severe societal impacts, and both are active in the extratropics. In the first part of the talk, I will use observations and reanalysis datasets to show that ARs can influence the development of MHWs on sub-weekly timescales through an increased cloud cover, an enhanced near-surface wind speed, and a warmer and moister atmospheric boundary layer. The net impact of an AR on ocean temperature is spatially and seasonally dependent. In the second part of the talk, I will present a physics-informed, semi-empirical algorithm that utilizes satellite-retrieved variables to reconstruct column-integrated moisture transport. The resultant, satellite-based AR database shows better agreement with the downstream extreme precipitation recorded by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) than other reanalysis-based AR databases. I will conclude with a discussion in the context of the historical AR trends.