What is different about the leeward side of the mountain?
An island’s windward side faces the prevailing, or trade, winds, whereas the island’s leeward side faces away from the wind, sheltered from prevailing winds by hills and mountains.
What happens to the climate on the leeward side of a mountain?
Mountains can have a significant effect on rainfall. When air reaches the mountains, it is forced to rise over this barrier. When the air descends the leeward side, it warms and is drier because the moisture in the air was wrung out during the ascent. This area with a lack of moisture is known as a rain shadow.
How do the windward and leeward side of a mountain chain differ in weather conditions?
Rain Shadow Much of airborne moisture falls as rain on the windward side of mountains. This often means that the land on the other side of the mountain (the leeward side) gets far less rain—an effect called a “rain shadow”—which often produces a desert.
What direction is leeward?
Also known as lee, leeward is the direction opposite to the way the wind is currently blowing (windward). Windward is the opposite of leeward (the opposite direction of the wind). Sailboats move with the wind, making the windward direction an important sailing term to know.
How is the leeward side of a mountain different from the windward side?
This is true most times — but not always.) 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 are windward and Leeward factors related to climate?
Windward and leeward aren’t just arbitrary terms, they are important weather and climate factors. One is responsible for enhancing precipitation in the vicinity of mountain ranges, and the other, for withholding it.
How do mountains affect temperature on both the windward and Windward?
So the rate of temperature change per 1000m of dry air is 10 degrees, and for air with condensation is around 6 degrees. Therefore as cloud forms the air does not cool as fast. Once the air goes over the top of the mountain, it will descend and begin to heat. Since when it is heating it is becoming more dry it heats at 10 degrees per 1000m.
What’s the temperature on the leeward side of the Earth?
So the air that started at the base on the windward side at 20 degrees, is now 26 degrees on the leeward side. All temperatures in Celcius. Earth Science Science Anatomy & Physiology Astronomy