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How do mountains affect air masses blowing over them?
Mountains can alter the flow of air masses by forcing the air to rise over them, causing it to cool and potentially form clouds and precipitation. This process, known as orographic lifting, can lead to different weather patterns on the windward and leeward sides of the mountain range. Additionally, mountains can also create barriers that block the movement of air masses, leading to local variations in temperature and precipitation.
What are the orographic clouds?
Orographic clouds form when moist air is forced to rise over mountains or elevated terrains. As the air ascends, it cools and condenses, leading to cloud formation typically on the windward side of the mountain. This process often results in increased precipitation in these regions, while the leeward side may experience drier conditions, a phenomenon known as the rain shadow effect. These clouds can vary in appearance, including stratus, cumulus, or even more complex formations depending on atmospheric conditions.
What is the leeward side of a flag pole?
The leeward side of a flag pole is the side opposite to the direction of the wind. It is the side where the wind is blocked or shielded by the pole, creating a relatively calm and low-wind environment.
How earths surface affects the characteristics of an air mass?
The earth's surface is so important to the characteristics of an air mass that I could write a short story. But I want. First if the surface is a cold ocean or sea then the lower levels of the atmosphere become very humid, but frontal instability over such seas can result in massive winter storms that bring rain and snow to land areas. If nothing else the moisture of the cold seas bring lots of low clouds and sometimes fog as along the California coast. The warm seas bring more unstable air into the atmosphere contributing to the formation of thunderstorms and hurricanes. The total amount of water vapor in the air over warm seas is much greater. Any land surface that is heated by the sun will change the air mass, as the shortwave radiation from the sun is radiated from the land surface to the atmosphere. This can result in daytime cloudiness to develop and even showers or rain, snow, or thunderstorms. Sometimes warm air will move over colder ground as in the winter or at night and the moist ocean air is cooled near the surface forming stratus clouds or fog. Mountains change the air masses significantly. If air is flowing against a mountain range (windward side) it will be forced to rise and cool. If the air is unsaturated the air will cool at 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit (F) per 1000 feet as it rises. Once it cools to saturation, it cools around 3 degrees per 1000 feet, and clouds form, perhaps with rain or snow or thunderstorms. As the air descends down the other side of the mountain (leeward side) the air is drier and sinks and warms at 5.5 degrees per 100 feet. Thus on the leeward side the air becomes warm and dry. This can result in a desert if the winds blow this way most of the time. Sea breezes form along the coast during the daytime and cool the land, but at night if the ocean stays the same temperature and the land cools more than the water a land breeze forms and the wind blows out to sea. Concerning winds, flat land surfaces as in America's Great Plains allow the wind friction to be minimal and the wind blows strong. Oceans being smooth water (at least initially) give less friction than the land unless large waves develop. Mountainous terrain will cause more friction on the land resulting in quite variable wind speeds. More gustiness will be apparent. Winds that may be light near the higher mountains will find passes to rush through with great speeds. Sometimes we cause these gap winds. If the land is dark soil as in the good farming land, the soil will absorb the solar short wave radiation easily. The air then heats up around this type of terrain, but plants putting moisture into the air have a cooling effect. Forests have a cooling effect from the evaporation of moisture and the shading of the air mass near the surface. Deserts have no way of cooling the air during the day without plants or clouds. But in the low layers the desert can cool off rapidly after sunset. Cities hold heat at night because of the buildings, streets, and sidewalks. This is called the heat island effect. Air that sits over land during the dark winter of the polar regions of ice and snow covered areas in the winter become extremely cold in the lower atmosphere. In the Northern Hemisphere we see these airmass domes come south and name them based on where they come from. Arctic air that can bring the coldest air of the winter. Give me some air that comes from a tropical ocean and I'll be happy. We call these Maritime tropical.
Is Jupiter close to earth?
Jupiter's magnetosphere extends towards the Sun about 7 million kilometres where it encounters the solar wind, which creates a bow wave. [See related link] It extends almost to Saturn on the leeward side. (About the distance from Jupiter to the Sun) Jupiter and Earth at their closest approach are approximately 630 million kilometres apart. So the magnetosphere doesn't reach Earth. See related links for more information
Which side of a mountain is cooler windward or leeward?
leeward
Does a rain shadow occur on the windward or leeward side of a mountain?
leeward
What happens to the windward side of a mountain?
it becomes a leeward.
What is the side of the mountain facing the wind?
The side of a mountain facing away from wind is the leeward, drier side, called the rain shadow.Leeward SlopesThe sheltered side of a mountain is known as the 'lee' side, or leeward slopes.The leeward side of a mountain has very little wind and a dry climate. This is called the mountain's rain shadow. In the northern hemisphere, this is usually the eastern side of the mountain. Leeward means the side which the wind doesn't blow on. The opposite is windward, which is the side of the mountain that the wind blows against.Its the Rain Shadow.
What are the leeward and windward called?
Sides of a mountain/ship/hill.
What are the two sides of the mountain called?
windward and leeward side(:
What are the two sides called of mountain ranges?
The two sides of a mountain range are typically referred to as the windward side and the leeward side. The windward side faces the prevailing winds and receives more precipitation, while the leeward side is sheltered from the wind and tends to be drier.
How does the amount of rainfall on the windward side of a mountain differ from that on leeward side?
rain shadows usually occur on the leeward side of the mountain ranges.
Is the windward mountain side dry?
Actually the windward side has higher precipitation, the leeward side is a drier place
What climate on the leeward side of a mountain differs from that on the windward side mostly in?
The leeward side of a mountain tends to be drier than the windward side because as air descends down the mountain, it warms, inhibiting precipitation. This phenomenon is known as the rain shadow effect. Additionally, the leeward side often experiences higher temperatures and lower humidity compared to the windward side.
Which side of the mountain is considered windward?
It is the sloped side of a mountain that is colder and gets more rain. Why? Because the leeward side is the opposite of the windward side and is also dryer because when the clouds climb the mountain range (windward side) they loses all their water so there is none left for the leeward side.
The climate on the leeward side of the mountain differs from that on the windward side mostly in?
the answer would be polar
