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Atmospheric River in the Pacific region

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Data plotted on a global map to show a range in water vapor content in the atmosphere.
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Detailed Description

Example of an "atmospheric river" (popularly known as a "Pineapple Express") that draws moisture from the Pacific Ocean near the equator and transports it to the U.S. West Coast with firehose-like ferocity. This one originated over the central Pacific on February 16, 2004, indicated by high (green) vertically integrated water-vapor contents (in grams per square centimeter of water vapor) in the atmosphere extending from around Hawai‘i to the California coast near the town of Cazadero (CZD). (From USGS Open-File Report 2010-1312.)

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Public Domain.

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