What happens when wind passes over a mountain?

What happens when wind passes over a mountain?

When wind blows across a mountain range, air rises and cools and clouds can form. When this happens, the air will rise and cool, and this cooler air is no longer able to hold all of the water vapor it was able to hold when it was warm.

What happens to the air after it crosses the peak of the mountain and descends?

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. You’ll often find rain shadows next to some of the world’s most famous mountain ranges.

What happens to air as it sinks down the leeward side of a mountain?

Answer. Answer: It will happen is precipitation falls as the air rises over the mountains, the air will be dry as it sinks on the leeward size. This dry, sinking air causes a rainshadow effect , which creates many of the world’s deserts.

Why does air warm as it descends on the backside of a mountain range?

The Leeward Side By the time the air descends down the other side of an island (or mountain), most of its moisture has been condensed out. As the air continues to descend towards sea level, atmospheric pressure increases which causes a temperature increase.

What happens when air rises over a mountain?

As air rises over a mountain it cools and loses moisture, then warms by compression on the leeward side. The resulting warm and dry winds are Chinook winds. The leeward side of the mountain experiences rainshadow effect.

Do mountains create wind?

description and cause …of such winds, known as mountain winds or breezes, is induced by differential heating or cooling along mountain slopes. During the day, solar heating of the sunlit slopes causes the overlying air to move upslope. These winds are also called anabatic flow.

What causes Foehn winds?

Foehn winds are caused by the subsidence of moist air after passing a high mountain. As the temperature decreases with height, the moist air will become saturated and condense to form clouds and rain when it rises to a certain height. The amount of water vapour that remains in the air therefore decreases.

What is foehn wind called in South Africa?

berg wind
(Literally, mountain wind.) A hot, dry, squally wind blowing off the interior plateau of South Africa, roughly at right angles to the coast; a type of foehn.

What happens to air as it sinks down the leeward side of a mountain quizlet?

The air rising on the windward side of the mountain has lost its moisture and cooled as it passes over the peaks. The cool air is now denser and sinks down the other side of the mountain (leeward side). Therefore, the leeward side of the mountain is drier than the windward side. This effect is called a rain shadow.

What happens when Chinook wind is drawn down the leeward slopes of the mountain range?

As a chinook wind is drawn down the leeward slopes of a mountain range, The air temperature rises. The saturation vapor pressure increases. As a consequence, the air is warm and dry, causing rapid temperature rises and reduction in snow cover.

What happens to the air temperature in a valley when cold air blowing from the mountains top descends into the valley?

As air descends into the valley, it compresses air already present. The increase in pressure on the valley’s air means work is done on the system, W > 0. Hence ∆Eint = W + Q = W > 0. The temperature goes up.

Why does air rise on the windward side of a mountain?

When a parcel of warm air travels from a low valley region to the foothills of a mountain range, it is forced to rise along the slope of the mountain (the windward side) as it encounters higher terrain. As the air is lifted up the mountain slope, it cools as it rises—a process known as “adiabatic cooling.”

What kind of winds blow down the lee side of mountains?

Winds that blow down the lee side of mountains are called “downslope winds.” They not only carry low relative humidity but also rush down at extremely strong speeds and can bring temperatures more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding air.

How is the leeward side of a mountain different from the windward side?

Leeward Mountain Slopes Encourage Warm, Dry Climates. In contrast to the windward side of a mountain which is moist, the leeward side typically has a dry, warm climate. This is because by the time air rises up the windward side and reaches the summit, it has already stripped of the majority of its moisture.

How does the wind work in mountainous terrain?

In many respects, the wind in mountainous terrain can be compared to water flowing in a rocky stream. The wind, like the water, is funneled and turned by the obstacles and updrafts and downdrafts are created. In general, a wind parallel to a valley is funneled in the valley and a venturi effect can be caused where the valley narrows.