In other words, roughly a river shape, but in the air.
However, this particular river was uncommonly strong, according to an Earth Observatoryrelease.
Towns in southeast Alaska experienced similar amounts of rainfall.
A huge atmospheric river over the Gulf of Alaska.Image: Michala Garrison, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership and data from DSCOVR EPIC.
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm and is causing devastating flooding across the American southeast.
This could be one of the conditions that potentially contributed to this exceptionally strong atmospheric river event.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
The atmospheric river, with tropical storm Helene at bottom right. NASA Earth Observatory images by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership and data from DSCOVR EPIC.
