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New Storm Pattern Called “Atmospheric Lake” Discovered
Research presented by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science during the 2021 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union shows evidence of a new type of storm called an “atmospheric lake” that is responsible for bringing rain to the East African coast.
How are atmospheric lakes formed?
Atmospheric lakes are formed from dense concentrations of water vapor that concentrate enough to produce large areas of rain. Their name comes from the large lake-like shapes they form into. These storms are caused by large-scale wind patterns, which move them from the Indian Ocean and onto land.
Where and when do these storms take place?
Atmospheric lakes have been observed in the Indian Ocean, where they slowly drift towards the East African coast. These areas are semi-arid, so atmospheric lakes bring much-needed rain towards the region.
Atmospheric lakes move very slowly. This is due to the fact that they are located near the equator, where there are no significant global wind patterns. Because of how slowly these storms move, they last a lot longer than other types of storms. The study found that the longest storm studied over a five-year period lasted 27 days, nearly a month.
