At any one time, Earth's atmosphere holds only about a week's worth of rain. But rainfall and floods have devastated Australia's eastern regions for weeks and more heavy rain is forecast. So where's all this water coming from?
We recently investigated the physical processes driving rainfall in eastern Australia. By following moisture from the oceans to the land, we worked out exactly how three oceans feed water to the atmosphere, conspiring to deliver deluges of rain similar to what we're seeing now.
Such research is important. A better understanding of how water moves through the atmosphere is vital to more accurately forecast severe weather and help communities prepare. The task takes on greater urgency under climate change, when heavy rainfall and other weather extremes are expected to become more frequent and violent.
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