flying rivers

Aug

2023

Origin and fate of atmospheric moisture over continents

Very interesting presentation of Hubert Savenije (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) at the 2012 General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union. It is very fascinating research showing how much rain on land stems from the recycling of water on land (“precipitation recycling”) – and that is partially huge! Combine this with the “flying rivers” from Antonio Nobre (and others) and the biotic pump from Anastassia Makarieva (and others) – and its a perfect set for nature doing its best to develop and maintain perfect growing conditions for itself (see Gaia hypothesis of James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis).

On the first graphic from their paper, one can see how much of the precipitation falling on land stems from evapotranspiration from land. On the second one can see how much a region participates through evapotranspiration to the precipitations somewhere else.

Jun

2022

Presentation: Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes

My presentation on “Working with plants, soils and water to cool the climate and rehydrate Earth’s landscapes“.

As it looks, we have a pretty exciting tool in the climate as well as agriculture discussion with multiple benefits: more vegetation (especially in agriculture; through undersowing, intercropping, agroforestry, but also through a different form of animal husbandry, forest conversion, water retention) means more fertile soils, more water storage capacity and infiltration, more nutrients, more habitat for insects & co, more … and v. especially a cooling (of the layers near the ground), heat loss into space, more clouds with more precipitation and more sunlight reflection, which in turn contributes to the cooling of the climate, as well as activates the small (weakened) water cycles.

In short, we can(t) work with nature to cool the climate, strengthen the small water cycles, and in the process make agriculture, forestry, and water management more resilient and “fertile.”

This talk is based on the findings of my UNEP article (exists in French, Spanish, Chinese too).

May

2022

Amazonia´s flying rivers – no forest, no water

Interesting and informative documentary: The Amazon rainforest is not only the earth’s green lung (absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the air and converting it to oxygen) it is also its air conditioner: intact forests suck in rain clouds from the Atlantic and evaporate water. In this way they cool the earth. Without forest, no water: if more and more forest disappears, this phenomenon of ‘flying rivers’ acting like a gigantic water pump can no longer exist. Scientists, politicians and environmental activists explain the fragile balance.

Apr

2022

Intense atmospheric rivers can weaken ice shelf stability at the Antarctic Peninsula

Scientists warn the biggest remaining ice shelf in the Antarctic Peninsula is at risk of total collapse due to ‘rivers in the sky’.

We show that the most intense atmospheric rivers induce extremes in temperature, surface melt, sea-ice disintegration, or large swells that destabilize the ice shelves with 40% probability. This was observed during the collapses of the Larsen A and B ice shelves during the summers of 1995 and 2002 respectively. Overall, 60% of calving events from 2000–2020 were triggered by atmospheric rivers.