An Expanded Investigation of Atmospheric Rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Their Connection to Landslides

Atmosphere

DouglasK. Miller¹  AnaP. Barros²  ChelcyFord Miniat³  RichardM. Wooten⁴ 

[1] Atmospheric Sciences Department, University of North Carolina Asheville, Asheville, NC 28804, USA;Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture, Otto, NC 28763, USA;North Carolina Geological Survey, Swannanoa, NC 28778, USA;

关键词: atmospheric rivers;    extreme rainfall;    landslides;    southern Appalachian Mountains;    Maya Corridor;   

DOI  :  10.3390/atmos10020071

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Previous examination of rain gauge observations over a five-year period at high elevations within a river basin of the southern Appalachian Mountains showed that half of the extreme (upper 2.5%) rainfall events were associated with an atmospheric river (AR). Of these extreme events having an AR association, over 73% were linked to a societal hazard at downstream locations in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Our analysis in this study was expanded to investigate AR effects in the southern Appalachian Mountains on two river basins, located 60 km apart, and examine their influence on extreme rainfall, periods of elevated precipitation and landslide events over two time periods, the ‘recent’ and ‘distant’ past. Results showed that slightly more than half of the extreme rainfall events were directly attributable to an AR in both river basins. However, there was disagreement on individual ARs influencing extreme rainfall events in each basin, seemingly a reflection of its proximity to the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the localized terrain lining the river basin boundary. Days having at least one landslide occurring in western North Carolina were found to be correlated with long periods of elevated precipitation, which often also corresponded to the influence of ARs and extreme rainfall events.

【 授权许可】

Unknown