Say My Name: the Polarising Name of Atmospheric Rivers

Kim Reid

doi:10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465

Say My Name: the Polarising Name of Atmospheric Rivers

Kim Reid

School of Earth Atmosphere and Environment

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review

Abstract

Few meteorological terms have caused such debate as Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). ARs were proposed in 1992, but a formal definition for ARs was only developed in 2015 following the observational campaigns of the 2000s that led to a deeper physical understanding. ARs can cause extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, damaging winds, glacier melt, and even polar heatwaves. Despite their well-documented global impacts, there has been relatively little research on this phenomenon in Australia. Compound events involving ARs led to the devastating 2021 and 2022 flooding in eastern Australia. The media were drawn to the metaphor of a ‘river in sky’ but the term has not been embraced by our national weather service, and some scientists still question their existence. This essay explores the controversy of the name Atmospheric River and highlights what could be achieved if we focused less on the name and more on the science

Original language	English
Number of pages	7
Journal	Australian Geographer
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 18 Apr 2023

Access to Document

10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465Licence: CC BY

ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes
Pitman, A. J., Jakob, C., Alexander, L., Reeder, M., Roderick, M., England, M. H., Abramowitz, G., Abram, N., Arblaster, J., Bindoff, N. L., Dommenget, D., Evans, J. P., Hogg, A. M., Holbrook, N. J., Karoly, D. J., Lane, T. P., Sherwood, S. C., Strutton, P., Ebert, E., Hendon, H., Hirst, A. C., Marsland, S., Matear, R., Protat, A., Wang, Y., Wheeler, M. C., Best, M. J., Brody, S., Grabowski, W., Griffies, S., Gruber, N., Gupta, H., Hallberg, R., Hohenegger, C., Knutti, R., Meehl, G. A., Milton, S., de Noblet-Ducoudre, N., Or, D., Petch, J., Peters-Lidard, C., Overpeck, J., Russell, J., Santanello, J., Seneviratne, S. I., Stephens, G., Stevens, B. & Stott, P. A.
Monash University – Internal University Contribution, Monash University – Internal School Contribution, Monash University – Internal Faculty Contribution, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australian National University (ANU), University of Melbourne, University of Tasmania, Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) (Australia), Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) (New South Wales)
1/01/17 → 31/12/24
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{5cfa165a0e084957b46c938c6d235d6f,

title = "Say My Name: the Polarising Name of Atmospheric Rivers",

abstract = "Few meteorological terms have caused such debate as Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). ARs were proposed in 1992, but a formal definition for ARs was only developed in 2015 following the observational campaigns of the 2000s that led to a deeper physical understanding. ARs can cause extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, damaging winds, glacier melt, and even polar heatwaves. Despite their well-documented global impacts, there has been relatively little research on this phenomenon in Australia. Compound events involving ARs led to the devastating 2021 and 2022 flooding in eastern Australia. The media were drawn to the metaphor of a {\textquoteleft}river in sky{\textquoteright} but the term has not been embraced by our national weather service, and some scientists still question their existence. This essay explores the controversy of the name Atmospheric River and highlights what could be achieved if we focused less on the name and more on the science",

author = "Kim Reid",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "18",

doi = "10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465",

language = "English",

journal = "Australian Geographer",

issn = "0004-9182",

publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Say My Name

T2 - the Polarising Name of Atmospheric Rivers

AU - Reid, Kim

PY - 2023/4/18

Y1 - 2023/4/18

N2 - Few meteorological terms have caused such debate as Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). ARs were proposed in 1992, but a formal definition for ARs was only developed in 2015 following the observational campaigns of the 2000s that led to a deeper physical understanding. ARs can cause extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, damaging winds, glacier melt, and even polar heatwaves. Despite their well-documented global impacts, there has been relatively little research on this phenomenon in Australia. Compound events involving ARs led to the devastating 2021 and 2022 flooding in eastern Australia. The media were drawn to the metaphor of a ‘river in sky’ but the term has not been embraced by our national weather service, and some scientists still question their existence. This essay explores the controversy of the name Atmospheric River and highlights what could be achieved if we focused less on the name and more on the science

AB - Few meteorological terms have caused such debate as Atmospheric Rivers (ARs). ARs were proposed in 1992, but a formal definition for ARs was only developed in 2015 following the observational campaigns of the 2000s that led to a deeper physical understanding. ARs can cause extreme rainfall, flooding, landslides, damaging winds, glacier melt, and even polar heatwaves. Despite their well-documented global impacts, there has been relatively little research on this phenomenon in Australia. Compound events involving ARs led to the devastating 2021 and 2022 flooding in eastern Australia. The media were drawn to the metaphor of a ‘river in sky’ but the term has not been embraced by our national weather service, and some scientists still question their existence. This essay explores the controversy of the name Atmospheric River and highlights what could be achieved if we focused less on the name and more on the science

U2 - 10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465

DO - 10.1080/00049182.2023.2199465

M3 - Comment / Debate

JO - Australian Geographer

JF - Australian Geographer

SN - 0004-9182

ER -

Say My Name: the Polarising Name of Atmospheric Rivers

Abstract

Access to Document

Projects

ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

Cite this