Sneddon et al. (2026) Atmospheric River Climatology for the South Atlantic Basin Using an Image Processing‐Based Methodology

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-07
• Authors: Amber K. Sneddon, Ross C. Blamey, Chris J. C. Reason
• DOI: 10.1029/2025jd045478

Research Groups

• University of Cape Town Climate Service Centre
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

Short Summary

This study introduces a new detection method for Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) in the South Atlantic, using an image-processing algorithm applied to ERA5 data. The research reveals that ARs occur all year round, with an average of 161 systems per year.

Objective

• Investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a novel image-processing approach for detecting ARs in the South Atlantic region

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (South Atlantic)
• Temporal Scale: Long-term (1979–2023)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: ERA5 reanalysis data
• Data sources: Satellite, observation, and reanalysis datasets

Main Results

• The new detection method reveals that ARs occur all year round in the South Atlantic.
• An average of 161 AR systems per year is found.
• Most ARs originate in the southwest Atlantic and track eastward toward the Indian Ocean.
• Peak occurrence is during austral summer (DJF) between 40°S and 60°S.

Contributions

• This study provides a new perspective on AR detection, highlighting the limitations of traditional magnitude thresholding methods.
• The developed climatology for the South Atlantic region contributes to our understanding of AR characteristics and behavior.

Funding

• National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa (Grant Number: 114551)
• NOAA's Climate Program Office (Award Number: NA18OAR4310274)
• ECMWF's Model Evaluation and Development Programme (MEDIPI)

Citation

@article{Sneddon2026Atmospheric,
  author = {Sneddon, Amber K. and Blamey, Ross C. and Reason, Chris J. C.},
  title = {Atmospheric River Climatology for the South Atlantic Basin Using an Image Processing‐Based Methodology},
  journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025jd045478},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025jd045478}
}