Atmospheric rivers are associated with nine out of every 10 floods in major global river basins

Abstract

The role of atmospheric rivers (ARs) in 119 major flood events across 50 global river basins was investigated. The ARs were linked to 74% of the flood areas and 89% of the full basins. Their contributions were evident during and before floods, with influences spanning mid-latitudes to tropical regions, causing human fatalities and population displacements. These findings underscore ARs as dominant and widespread drivers of extreme flood events worldwide.