Lubis et al. (2026) More Frequent Atmospheric Rivers and Associated Precipitation Extremes Induced by the Baroclinic Annular Mode

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

Identification

• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-19
• Authors: Sandro Wellyanto Lubis, Lai-Yung Ruby Leung, J. Michael Battalio
• DOI: 10.1029/2026gl124953

Research Groups

• University of California, Berkeley: Department of Earth and Planetary Science
• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR): Climate and Global Dynamics Laboratory

Short Summary

This study investigates the relationship between midlatitude atmospheric variability, specifically the Baroclinic Annular Mode (BAM), and its impact on global atmospheric river (AR) activity. The research reveals that BAM's positive phase enhances AR frequency and precipitation extremes.

Objective

• Investigate how intrinsic midlatitude atmospheric variability modulates AR activity on subseasonal timescales

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global, with a focus on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
• Temporal Scale: Subseasonal (days to weeks)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not specified in the abstract
• Data sources: Not specified in the abstract

Main Results

• AR frequency increases by up to ∼50% during BAM's positive phase
• AR-driven precipitation extremes increase by up to ∼40% relative to climatology during BAM's positive phase
• Enhanced potential-to-kinetic energy conversion favors AR growth and intensification, particularly in storm-track regions

Contributions

• This study highlights the importance of intrinsic midlatitude storm-track variability in modulating global AR activity, providing new insights for extended-range AR prediction on subseasonal timescales.

Funding

• Not specified in the abstract

Citation

@article{Lubis2026More,
  author = {Lubis, Sandro Wellyanto and Leung, Lai-Yung Ruby and Battalio, J. Michael},
  title = {More Frequent Atmospheric Rivers and Associated Precipitation Extremes Induced by the Baroclinic Annular Mode},
  journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026gl124953},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl124953}
}