Rain shadow how does it work

Skip to content Home Sociology What is the rainshadow effect? Ben Davis April 25, What is the rainshadow effect? How does the rainshadow effect work?

Which of the following is the term for the dry area on the downwind side of a mountain range? Why is there a rainshadow desert on the leeward side of a mountain range? Which side of the mountain receives the most precipitation? What is the wet side of a mountain called? What is windward side of a mountain? What is lee side of mountain?

Why does it rain a lot on one side of the mountain? Why does the temperature drop when you climb a mountain? Why is the side of a mountain near the ocean usually lush and green? Which side of the mountain gets less rainfall? What causes more rain to fall on one side of a mountain than the other side quizlet? What are 3 factors that affect precipitation? What are two main factors that affect precipitation? What are the factors that affects precipitation?

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Next Article What are the note names for the treble clef? Back To Top. Cool air forms clouds, which drop rain and snow, as it rises up a mountain.

After the air mass crosses over the peak of the mountain and starts down the other side, the air warms up and the clouds dissipate. That means there is less rainfall. Death Valley, a desert in the U. The Tibetan Plateau, a rain shadow in Tibet, China, and India has the enormous Himalaya mountain range to thank for its dry climate. This is why Death Valley is one of the hottest, driest places on Earth. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

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Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives. The weather you encounter day to day depends on where you live. The sharp contrast in vegetation is called the rain shadow effect. Moisture condenses and falls as rain or snow on the windward slopes. The air that crests the mountaintop warms and dries as it heads down the leeward slopes, leaving them dry and making vegetation sparse. Why is there a difference?

If wind is approaching from the west, the rain shadow is on the east. If the wind is approaching from the east, the rain shadow is on the west. Whichever side the wind is approaching from is called the windward side. Snow caps almost always cover the top of high altitude mountain peaks, and also bring some relief to the leeward side of that mountain when they partially melt.