Atmospheric River Responsible for Extreme Heat Wave Detected in East Antarctica [Study]

An extreme heat wave was detected in East Antarctica for several days back in March 2022. The event is significant since high temperatures associated with extreme heat dome in the icy continent are relatively rare. Now two recent studies explored the said phenomenon and described that the March 2022 East Antarctica heat wave was "extraordinary."

Scientists involved in the research have determined that a record-breaking atmospheric river triggered the extreme weather event in East Antarctica from March 15 to March 19 in the said year. Based on the findings, the unprecedented heat wave impacted an area in the Antarctic region the size of India. In addition, it was driven by the water vapor-carrying atmospheric river.

In other parts of the world such as the Western United States, atmospheric rivers are known for causing heavy rain and widespread flooding. Being a plume of moisture that transports water vapor in the atmosphere, this weather phenomenon dubbed as "rivers in the sky" can fuel precipitation for a prolonged period of time.

East Antarctica Heat Wave

The findings of the two studies about the East Antarctica heat wave and the extreme heat's impact on the Antarctic ice sheet were both published on the Journal of Climate on Tuesday, January 9. Through analysis, researchers found that extreme temperatures linked with the East Antarctica heat wave were driven by moisture from the Indian Ocean and intensification of an atmospheric river.

The record-breaking atmospheric river occurred near the coastline off the eastern part of the Antarctic continent, reinforcing atmospheric blocking deep into East Antarctica and pushed tropical airmass deep into the continent.

In summary, the research suggests that the intense atmospheric river carried not only moisture but also warmer temperatures through the continent, resulting in the "extraordinary March 2022 East Antarctica heat wave.

What is Atmospheric River?

Atmospheric river, as mentioned in the January 2024 studies, is a term used by meteorologists and mainstream media in recent years when forecasting extreme wet weather in each area or region.

Atmospheric rivers are common in the extratropical part of the North Pacific, Atlantic, Southeast Pacific, and South Atlantic oceans. However, these systems often make landfall along the west coasts of North America and South America, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated in November 2022.

Although rare, atmospheric river landfalls also occur in other regions of the world, including Antarctica, Greenland, and the south-central US, according to NASA.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these rivers in the sky are "relatively long, narrow regions" in the atmosphere. They transport the majority of the water vapor outside the tropical region.

Since atmospheric rivers are often associated with water vapor and wet precipitation, it is unique that such a system can influence heat waves across East Antarctica, as what has been described and discovered in the Journal of Climate studies.