Atmospheric River Observatories

Atmospheric River Observatories (AROs) have been implemented at numerous sites across California's flood-threatened Russian River Basin. These observatories monitor the wind speed, direction, snow level and water vapor content in real-time above the earth's surface to help researchers better understand Atmospheric Rivers.

Mobile AR Monitoring System

A mobile atmospheric river monitoring system was developed by the ESRL/Physical Sciences Division and deployed to Westport, Washington in the Fall of 2009. Located in a data poor area approximately 250 km upwind of the Cascade foothills, MARMS is providing data via the Internet to a variety of researchers and forecasters. The Westport deployment is a first step in assessing the role of ARs in flooding in the Pacific Northwest, and the potential of new observing capabilities. Another component that will support this effort is ESRL's Reforecast Model. This model is a compilation of historical observations and their corresponding 2-day forecasts, which are rerun using today's current forecasting model (i.e., reforecasts). The reforecasts represent an additional tool for anticipating heavy precipitation and is being evaluated in the context of the AR phenomenon.

Water Vapor Flux Tool

This tool incorporates wind profiler and GPS data over land which, when combined with offshore satellite observations of atmospheric rivers, provides for a better and more comprehensive depiction of the incoming water vapor flux.

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