Cloud and Rain Formation

What we learn during the 2 lessons after the cloud making was mainly on the rain formation.

1. Atmospheric Moisture

- maintains life on earth

- keep our planet at habitable temperature

- balance the heat budget

2. Condensation

- radiation cooling and advection cooling (horizontal movement)

- orographic and frontal uplift and adiabatic cooling (rising movement)

3. The main point of the lesson was the study of the orographic rain

This happens when there is a mountain next to a sea or ocean. On the windward side, there is the sea/ocean. The wind brings the water up and lenticular clouds form on the leeward side of the mountain. On the leeward side, the rainshadow effect occurs due to adiabatic warming.

Rainshadow effect: where precipitation is noticeably low and the air is drier.

Adiabatic Warming: happens over a big area where the air pressure increases causing air parcels to compress and hence the area warms rapidly.

Examples: California(rains alot), Pacific Coast(alot of water) [windward] ----> Death Valley(desert) [leeward]

Jasmine :)