For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series). Rain Shadow is an Australian Television Drama series which premiered on 7 October 2007 on ABC TV. For the Australian Gothic Metal band, see Rainshadow. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

A rain shadow or rainshadow, or more accurately, precipitation shadow, is a dry region of land that is leeward of or behind a mountain, with respect to prevailing wind direction. Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing at the time in question A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak Wind is the flow of Air or other Gases that compose an Atmosphere (including but not limited to the Earth's)

Contents 1 Description 2 Regions of notable rain shadow 2.1 Asia 2.2 South America 2.3 North America 2.4 Europe 2.5 Africa 2.6 Oceania 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

Description

A rain shadow is usually caused by a mountain range, but can be caused by other things as well, although to a much less degree. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys

A rainshadow is warm and dry because as moist air masses rise to the top of a mountain range or large mountain, the air cools and the moisture content decreases until it reaches the dew point, the point at which the water vapor condenses as rain, and then falls either on the windward side or atop the mountain. Water content or moisture content is the quantity of Water contained in a material such as Soil (called soil moisture) rock, The dew point (sometimes spelled dewpoint) is the Temperature to which a given parcel of Air must be cooled at constant Barometric pressure, General properties of water vapor Evaporation/sublimation Whenever a water molecule leaves a surface it is said to have evaporated Rain is Liquid precipitation. On Earth it is the condensation of atmospheric Water vapor into drops heavy enough to fall often making it to Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing at the time in question This is called orographic lift precipitation. Orographic lift occurs when an Air mass is forced from a low Elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric The effect of this phenomenon is the creation of an arid region on the leeward side of the mountains. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering Also, the warm air absorbs moisture from the already dry and warm air (see Foehn winds). A foehn wind or föhn wind is a type of dry downslope wind which occurs in the lee of a mountain range The land gets little precipitation because all the moisture is lost on the mountains. Furthermore, the warm air absorbs moisture from the already dry land. ^[1]

Regions of notable rain shadow

There are regular patterns of prevailing winds found in bands round the Earth's equatorial region. The prevailing winds are the trends in speed and direction of Wind over a particular point on the Earth 's surface The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the The zone designated the trade winds is the zone between about 30° N. The trade winds (also called trades) are the prevailing pattern of easterly winds found in the Tropics near the Earth's Equator. and 30° S. , blowing predominantly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisphere. Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' The westerlies are the prevailing winds in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude, blowing predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. The Westerlies or the Prevailing Westerlies are the prevailing winds in the Middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees Latitude, blowing from The middle latitudes are between 33 degrees 33' 33" North and 66 degrees 33' 33" and 64 degrees 33' 33" South and 33 degrees 33' 33" South Latitude, or Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi ( Φ) gives the location of a place on Earth (or other planetary body north or south of the The strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the Roaring Forties between 40 and 50 degrees latitude. The Roaring Forties is a name given especially by sailors to the latitudes between 40°S and 50°S so called because of the boisterous and prevailing westerly winds

Examples of notable rain shadowing include:

Asia

• The peaks of the Caucasus Mountains to the west, the Alborz mountains to the south and the ranges tied to the Himalaya to the east rain shadow the Karakum and Kyzyl Kum deserts east of the Caspian Sea. This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range For the Iranian Frigate Alborz see Iranian frigate Alborz. For Alborz High School (in Persianدبیرستان البرز see Alborz High The Karakum Desert, also spelled Kara-Kum and Gara Gum (“Black Sand” ( Turkmen: Garagum, Russian: Каракумы) The Kyzyl Kum (Qizilqum Қызылқұм also called Qyzylqum, is the 11th largest Desert in the world The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea.
• The Dasht-i-Lut in Iran is in the rain shadow of the Elburz and Zagros Mountains and is one of the most lifeless areas on Earth. Dasht-e Lut, also spelled Dasht-i-Lut, is a large salt Desert in southeastern Iran. For the Iranian Frigate Alborz see Iranian frigate Alborz. For Alborz High School (in Persianدبیرستان البرز see Alborz High The Zagros Mountains (جبال زاجروس (رشته كوههاى زاگرس ( Sorani Kurdish: Zagros - زاگرۆس make up Iran 's and Iraq 's
• The Himalaya and connecting ranges also contribute to arid conditions in Central Asia including Mongolia's Gobi desert and China's Taklamakan Desert. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Mongolia (mɒŋˈɡoʊliə, literally Mongol country/nation,) is a Landlocked Country in East The Gobi (Говь Govi or Gov', "gravel-covered plain" Chinese: zh-t 戈壁(沙漠 Gēbì (Shāmò) China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Taklamakan Desert (Takelamagan Shamo 塔克拉玛干沙漠 also known as Taklimakan, is a Desert in Central Asia, in the Xinjiang
• The Ordos Desert is rain shadowed by mountain chains including the Kara-naryn-ula, the Sheitenula, and the In Shan mountains, which link on to the south end of the Great Khingan Mountains. The Ordos Desert ( is a Desert and Steppe region lying on a Plateau in the south of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region of the People's The Greater Khingan Range ( Pinyin: Dàxīng'ānlǐng Manchu: Amba Hinggan also called the Greater Hing'an Range or Greater Hinggan Range
• The Great Indian Desert or Thar desert is bounded and rain shadowed by the Aravalli ranges to the south-east, the Himalaya to the northeast, and the Kirthar and Sulaiman ranges to the west. The Thar Desert ( Hindi: थार मरुस्थल also known as the Great Indian Desert, is The Aravalli Range is a range of mountains in western India running approximately 800 km from northeast to southwest across Rajasthan state
• Eastern Side of Sahyadri ranges on Deccan Plateau of India. The Western Ghats ( Kannada ಸಹ್ಯಾದ್ರಿ Marathi / Konkani - सह्याद्री Sahyadri Malayalam സഹ്യപര്‍വ്വതം

South America

• The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest desert on Earth because it is blocked from moisture on both sides (by the Andes mountains to the east and high pressure over the Pacific at a latitude which keeps moisture from coming in from the west). Atacama redirects here for the political-administrative region of Chile, see Atacama Region. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions
• Patagonia is rain shadowed from the prevailing westerly winds by the Andes range and is arid (e. Llao LLaojpg|thumb|250px| Lake Nahuel Huapi, near Bariloche, Argentina The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. g. , in Santa Cruz few spots are capable of cultivation, the pastures being poor, water insufficient and salt lagoons fairly numerous).

North America

Most rainshadows in the western United States are due to mountain ranges, notably the Sierra Nevada and Cascades,^[2] that intercept rain and snowfall that would otherwise reach a valley in the lee of the mid-latitude prevailing westerlies. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U

• The deserts of the Basin and Range Province in the United States and Mexico, which includes the dry areas east of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington and the Great Basin, which covers almost all of Nevada and parts of Utah are rain shadowed. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The Basin and Range Province is a large geologic province which includes parts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, typified by Basin and The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States.
• The Mojave, Black Rock, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts all are in regions which are rain shadowed. For the indigenous American tribe see Mohave. The Mojave Desert (moʊˈhɑːvi or /məˈhɑːvi/ ( Hayikwiir Mat'aar in Mojave The Black Rock Desert is a Dry lake bed and the surrounding Endorheic basin in northwestern Nevada in the United States. The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is The Chihuahuan Desert is a Desert that straddles the US-Mexico border.
• The aptly-named Death Valley in the United States is another good example; it is behind both the Pacific Coast Ranges of California and the Sierra Nevada range, and is one of the driest places on the planet. Death Valley is the lowest driest and hottest Valley in the United States. The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of Mountain ranges that stretch along the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern and central Mexico California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is
• The Colorado Front Range is limited to the rainfall that makes it over the continental divide. See also Geography of Colorado The Colorado Front Range is a colloquial geographic term for the most populous region of the State of Colorado in the United A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually While many places west of the divide receive as much as 40 inches (1,000 mm) of precipitation throughout the year, some places on the east side, notably Evergreen, Colorado and Denver, Colorado only receive about 17-19 inches. Evergreen is a Census-designated place (CDP and a US Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Thus, the continental divide acts as a barrier for the precipitation. A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually This effect only applies to west to east storms. When low pressure areas skirt the Rocky Mountains to the south, they can give high precipitation to the east side and none to the west side. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. This only happens on somewhat rare occasions.
• The east slopes of the Coast Ranges in central and southern California also cut off the southern San Joaquin Valley from enough precipitation to ensure desert-like conditions in areas around Bakersfield. The San Joaquin Valley (ˌsæn wɑːˈkiːn refers to the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
• The eastern side of the Coast Mountains and the Cascade Range in the province of British Columbia, Canada is a rain shadow. The Coast Mountains are a Mountain range of the Pacific Cordillera, running along the north western shore of the North American continent extending south British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Okanagan Valley which sits in this rain shadow is home to Osoyoos, Canada's only hot desert. The Okanagan (oʊkəˈnɑːɡən also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province Osoyoos ˈsɔɪjuːs officially pronounced soy -use” though also pronounced (ɒˈsɔɪjuːs ("O- soo -yoos" and (əˈsɔɪjuːs (O- soy -yoos
• The Dungeness Valley around Sequim, Washington lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. Sequim (skwɪm is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Olympic Mountains are a Mountain range on the Olympic Peninsula of western Washington in the United States. The area averages 10-15 inches of rain per year, less than half of the amount received in nearby Port Angeles and approximately 10% of that which falls in Forks on the western side of the mountains. Port Angeles is a city in and the County seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. Forks is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States.
• The effect appears even in the eastern United States. Although much more humid than any obvious deserts or steppes, the Shenandoah Valley mostly in western Virginia, lying between the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains, is drier than areas to the east and west because the modest mountains reduce rainfall within the valley. The Shenandoah Valley region of western Virginia and West Virginia is bounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Appalachian The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The lesser rainfall than that of surrounding areas makes this long valley paradoxically a richer agricultural area than rainier areas nearby. [1][2]

Europe

• The Cantabrian Mountains make a sharp divide between "Green Spain" to the north and the dry central plateau. Cantabrian Mountains ( Cordillera Cantábrica in Spanish) are a Mountain range which extends for more than approximately 180  Miles (300  Green Spain (direct translation into English of the Spanish España Verde) is the name given to the Spanish northern maritime façade exposed to the The northern-facing slopes receive heavy rainfall from the Bay of Biscay, but the southern slopes are in rain shadow. Cantabrian Sea redirects here Not to be confused with Biscay Bay Newfoundland and Labrador or Biscayne Bay. The most evident effect on the Iberian Peninsula occurs in the Almería, Murcia and Alicante areas, each with an average rainfall of 300 mm. Almería is a province of southern Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Granada, Murcia, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia (Spanish Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia) is one of Spain 's seventeen autonomous communities Alicante in Spanish or Alacant (in Valencian) is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the Valencian and the dryest spot in Europe (see Cabo de Gata) mostly due to the mountainous range running through their western side which blocks the westerlies. Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park is a nature reserve near Almería, Spain.
• Some valleys in the inner Alps are also strongly rainshadowed by the high surrounding mountains.
• Athens is shielded strongly by mountains from the strong moisture-bearing winds of the Adriatic Sea and receives only a quarter the rainfall of most of Albania. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's This article is about the country in southern Europe For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Albania topics.
• Skjåk, a municipality in Norway, lies in a deep valley and is rain shadowed such that it sees less annual precipitation than the Sahara desert. Skjåk is a municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway. Skjåk was separated from Lom as a municipality of its own in ||} Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions called counties ( fylker, singular fylke) and 430 municipalities ( kommuner, cf Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest

Africa

• The windward side of the island of Madagascar, which sees easterly on-shore winds, is wet tropical, while the western and southern sides of the island lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands and are home to thorn forests and deserts. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern

• The formation of the Atlas Mountains has been deemed at least partially responsible for the climatic change which eventually created the Sahara. The Atlas Mountains ( Kabyle: Idurar n leṭles جبال الأطلس) is a Mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 2400 The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest There is a strong rain shadow effect to the south side of the mountains.

Oceania

• New Caledonia lies astride the Tropic of Capricorn, between 19° and 23° south latitude. For the former North American fur-trading district see New Caledonia (Canada, and for the Scottish colony in Panama see Darien scheme. For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Capricorn (novel. The climate of the islands is tropical, and rainfall is brought by trade winds from the east. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The western side of the Grande Terre lies in the rain shadow of the central mountains, and rainfall averages are significantly lower.
• Hawaii also has rain shadows, with some areas of the islands being desert, much to the surprise of many tourists. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Orographic lifting produces the world's highest annual percipitation record, 12. 7 meters (500 inches), on the island of Kauai; the leeward side is understandably rain shadowed^[1]. Kauai (in standard Hawaiian kauˈaʔi in Kauai- Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect; usually spelled Kauai outside the Hawaiian Islands and ˈkaʊɑɪ or /kaʊˈɑɪ/ The entire island of Kahoolawe lies in the rain shadow of Maui's East Maui Volcano. Kahoolawe is the smallest of the 8 main Volcanic islands in the Hawaiian Islands.
• New Zealand boasts one of the most remarkable rain shadows anywhere on Earth. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island On the South Island, the Southern Alps intercept moisture coming off the Tasman Sea. The mountain range is home to significant glaciers and 250 to 350 inches (8,900 mm) liquid water equivalent per year. To the east and down slope of the Southern Alps, scarcely 30 miles (48 km) from the snowy peaks, yearly rainfall drops to less than 30 inches (760 mm) and some areas less than 15.
• In Tasmania, one of the states of Australia, the central Midlands region is in a strong rain shadow and receives only about a fifth as much rainfall as the highlands to the west. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
• In New South Wales and Victoria (both states of Australia), the Monaro is shielded by both the Snowy Mountains to the northwest and coastal ranges to the southeast. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. There are other uses for the term Monaro. Monaro (pronounced "mon-air'-ro" is the name of a region in the south of New Consequently, parts of it are as dry as the wheat-growing lands of those states.

See also

• Foehn wind

References

External links

• USA Today on rain shadows
• Weather pages on rain shadows

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic