The plane would remain high above the storm, while the atmospheric river, shrouded in clouds, churned away at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.“It’s well below us. But we’ve got the tools and sensors to see into that,” he said.Research has shown that atmospheric rivers transport, on average, more than twice the flow of the Amazon River into the Atlantic Ocean.“And this is a strong one. And water vapor is the fuel of an AR. Lower down, within the storm, the winds were pushing water vapor at speeds of up to 90 mph.As the jet cruised above the clouds, De Solo saw the atmospheric river’s signature appear in the data. So it’s a pretty classic atmospheric river.”After examining the data, Ralph stepped into the cockpit and sat chatting with co-pilot Rick de Triquet.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 03, 2023 10:30 UTC