Earth System Dynamics
Earth System Dynamics
ESD
Articles | Volume 17, issue 3
Articles | Volume 17, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-695-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-695-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 17, issue 3
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
12 Jun 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 12 Jun 2026

Atmospheric river trajectories organise along a global transport network

Tobias Braun, Sara M. Vallejo-Bernal, Norbert Marwan, Juergen Kurths, Johannes Quaas, Albert Díaz-Guilera, Luis Gimeno, and Miguel D. Mahecha

Viewed

Since the preprint corresponding to this journal article was posted outside of Copernicus Publications, the preprint-related metrics are limited to HTML views.

Total article views: 695 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
687 0 8 695 0 0
  • HTML: 687
  • PDF: 0
  • XML: 8
  • Total: 695
  • BibTeX: 0
  • EndNote: 0
Views and downloads (calculated since 02 Mar 2026)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 02 Mar 2026)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Since the preprint corresponding to this journal article was posted outside of Copernicus Publications, the preprint-related metrics are limited to HTML views.

Total article views: 695 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 695 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 12 Jun 2026
Download
Editorial statement
Atmospheric Rivers transport vast amounts of water vapor and are often associated with weather extremes. This paper shows that Atmospheric Rivers organise along a sparse set of preferred pathways, forming a global network. Such a perspective can lead to improved forecasts of extreme precipitation, droughts and polar ice melt under climate change.
Read more
Short summary
Atmospheric rivers (ARs) move vast amounts of water through the atmosphere and often cause weather extremes, yet they are usually studied as regional events. Using 84 years of mapped AR trajectories, we reveal the global "roadmap" of ARs, a transport network of high-activity hubs, sparse atmospheric highways & hierarchical basins. Our approach shows how water vapor is systematically channelled through an atmospheric transport network, offering new ways to study changes in the global water cycle.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint