'River in the sky' can cause floods to destroy species

The atmospheric river may contain 15 times more water than the Mississippi River, creating heavy rains, flooding and destroying many animals.

A new study identifies the atmospheric river , which is a narrow region that concentrates moisture in the atmosphere , which may contain 15 times more water than the Mississippi River in the United States. They are likely to cause the worst floods in the world, causing many animals to die massively when a large amount of rain is poured out shortly, Independent reported yesterday.

The atmospheric river can generate heavy rainfall, causing flooding.(Photo: Reuters).

All of Britain's 10 biggest floods since the 1970s are related to the atmospheric river. Scientists warn climate change will make this problem worse . As the air heats up, the atmospheric river is capable of storing more water. Therefore, one of the effects of climate change is increased rainfall in many places .

Scientists have recently concluded that the atmospheric river is the culprit causing heavy rainfall, erasing nearly all of the wild Olympia oysters in northern San Francisco Bay, California, and the United States in 2011.

The atmospheric river drains the water by half of California's annual average rainfall in just 10-15 days. Large freshwater flows into the bay, diluting the salt in the water, affecting the habitat of oysters and causing them to die in series.

A study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B warns that this is not just a threat to oysters."If a mass death incident affects key species, it can then affect many other species in the ecosystem chain," the study wrote.