Influence of atmospheric rivers on glaciers

Abstract

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are long, narrow, and transient corridors of robust horizontal water vapor transport commonly associated with a low-level jet stream ahead of the cold front of an extratropical cyclone. These weather features are essential for Earth’s hydrological cycle, transporting water vapor poleward, delivering precipitation for local climates, and having societal repercussions, such as intense storms and flood risk. The polar regions have experienced increasing AR activity in recent years. ARs usually transport substantial amounts of moisture and heat poleward that can potentially affect glaciers and sea ice. Many studies have demonstrated that ARs cause surface melting of glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. Predicting and understanding the characteristics of ARs under global warming is a challenging task because there is not a consensus among scientists on a quantitative definition of ARs and the tracking methods. Understanding how ARs affect the surface mass balance of glaciers is crucial to increase our knowledge of how a warming atmosphere associated with warm ocean water will impact glaciated areas. In this work, we review recent advances in AR, including the methods used to identify them, their impacts on glaciers, their relationship with large-scale ocean-atmosphere dynamics, and variabilities under future climate.