We recently experienced our twelfth atmospheric river of the season here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It blasted through in a fury of rain and high winds, leaving mud slides, flooding, power outages and downed trees in its wake. Down the street, one of the big pine trees toppled over and blocked the road for a day. We lost power for two days and internet for close to two weeks, and our oak tree dropped one of its smaller branches.
What is an atmospheric river anyway? I didn't even know they existed, and suddenly they are a common occurrence. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the term describes a long narrow region in the atmosphere--like rivers in the sky--that transport most of the water outside the tropics. The columns of vapor move with the weather, carrying an amount of water vapor equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River (the columns can be 250-375 miles wide). When the atmospheric river reaches landfall, it releases the water vapor in the form of rain or snow.
Of course, we're all grateful for the rain, but after six months of it, it's time for another season! Still, it is interesting to read that scientists are recommending that we harvest surplus rainwater to replenish the aquifer. Much of our infrastructure here in California is all about draining water to prevent flooding. Maybe it's time to rethink that and capture the water instead. Is there a way to redirect atmospheric rivers to spread the water around? Perhaps our chronic drought situation here in the West could be eased with some creative ideas and actions. In the meantime, I'm relishing some dry and sunny days!
No comments:
Post a Comment