Author Question: Briefly explain how a rain-shadow desert forms. What will be an ideal ... (Read 55 times)

wrbasek0 · **on:** Jul 15, 2018

Briefly explain how a rain-shadow desert forms. What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What produces the worldwide pattern of east-west-oriented wind belts? What will be an ideal response?

diesoon · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 15, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Air masses are forced to rise over mountains. As they do, they cool, and moisture condenses and falls
as precipitation. Upon descending the leeward side of the mountain range, this air mass is dry. It heats,
and its aridity causes increased evaporation.

Answer to Question 2

Air rises at the equator because it receives the most solar energy. As it rises, it cools and releases
moisture onto the equatorial region. This drier air moves north and south toward the poles, but by the
time it reaches 20 to 30 north or south, it is cooler and denser and begins to sink. The sinking air
warms and causes evaporation. Some of that air moves back toward the equator, and some moves
north or south to 50-60 where it rises. In this way, three convection cells are created in each
hemisphere. Rather than flowing north-south or south-north, the Coriolis effect causes the air to move
to the right, so the winds in the major wind belts move east or west