A new study corrects poor-performing satellite-based rainfall estimates with gauge data and also fills gauge data gaps using well-performing satellite-based rainfall estimates.
Precipitation
More Clustered Clouds Amplify Tropical Rainfall Extremes
Both satellite observations and model simulations reveal that more aggregated convection amplifies the increase in extreme rainfall events on a year-to-year basis.
Atmospheric Rivers Trigger Heavy Snowmelt in Western USA
A rare atmospheric phenomenon that transports large quantities of water vapor into the coastal watersheds of the western USA is responsible for up to 10–20% of intense snowmelt events in the region.
Machine Learning Improves Satellite Rainfall Estimates
A new deep learning approach bridges ground rain gauge and radar data with spaceborne radar observations of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission to improve precipitation estimation.
Golden State Blazes Contributed to Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
A new case study investigates causes and effects of California’s 2017 wildfire season.
Accounting for the Fact that Snow Falls Slower than Rain
When calibrating satellite observations with ground-based ones, estimated precipitation rates are improved by considering that snow takes longer to fall compared to rain.
Landslide Activity Ramps Up With Extreme Rainfall
An increase in activity of hundreds of slow-moving landslides during extreme wet conditions in California provides insights into the landscape response to ongoing climate change.
Extreme Precipitation Expected to Increase with Warming Planet
A new analysis indicates that the frequency and magnitude of extreme precipitation events are expected to increase as Earth continues to warm.
Precipitation in the Tropics: A New View
The first study to simultaneously investigate precipitation and cloud structures in tropical weather systems concludes observation systems significantly overestimate the height of raining clouds.
What Climate Models Get Wrong About Future Water Availability
Models that accurately represent past and present rainfall provide more accurate projections of water availability, a new study suggests.