Factors Affecting Precipitation

Cards (32)

How do high-pressure systems affect rainfall?
They are associated with fair weather and low humidity
What is the relationship between temperature and moisture capacity?
Warm air holds more moisture than cold air
What is atmospheric pressure?
Force exerted by the weight of air
What is precipitation?
Any form of water falling from clouds
Can be liquid or solid
Why is humidity important for rainfall formation?
High humidity indicates air is close to saturation
What is the dew point?
Temperature at which air becomes saturated
What happens when warm, moist air cools?
Water vapor condenses into clouds
What is the definition of rainfall?
Liquid water falling from the sky
What is the effect of geographical location on rainfall?
It significantly affects climate and rainfall
How does proximity to large bodies of water affect rainfall?
Increases rainfall due to higher humidity
How do wind patterns influence rainfall?
They transport moist air leading to precipitation
What are the types of rainfall?
Rain, drizzle, and light rain showers
What is the rain shadow effect?
Rainfall occurs on the windward side of mountains
What are the steps in cloud formation?
Warm moist air is heated by sunlight
Air rises and forms thermals
Rising air cools and becomes dense
Cooling air reaches dew point, condensing into droplets
How does climate change affect rainfall patterns?
It leads to more extreme weather events
What are the types of rainfall?
Convectional Rainfall
Orographic Rainfall
Frontal Rainfall
What is convectional rainfall?
Occurs when the sun heats the ground causing evaporation
What is orographic rainfall?
Happens when air rises over mountains, cooling and condensing
What is frontal rainfall?
Associated with the movement of weather fronts
What factors influence rainfall patterns?
Atmospheric Pressure
Temperature
Humidity
Wind Patterns
Geographical Location
Vegetation Cover
Urbanization
Climate Change
How does urbanization affect rainfall patterns?
It increases runoff and alters hydrological cycles
What is the urban heat island effect?
Areas warmer than their surroundings due to urbanization
What is the source of incoming energy shown in the image?
The Sun
What is the relationship between the incoming energy from the Sun and the outgoing energy from the Earth?
Incoming energy from the Sun is absorbed by the Earth
This energy is then re-emitted as outgoing energy from the Earth
How does vegetation cover influence rainfall?
It releases water vapor contributing to precipitation
What is the term used to describe the energy that is trapped within the Earth?
Trapped energy
What are the steps of cloud formation?
Sunlight warms the surface
Warm, moist air becomes less dense
Rising air organizes into "thermals"
Rising air cools, condenses to form clouds
Why does warm, moist air become less dense during cloud formation?
Warm air is less dense than cool air, so it rises
What causes the rising air to organize into "thermals" during cloud formation?
The rising air organizes into rising columns or "thermals"
How do the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere affect the energy balance of the Earth?
Greenhouse gases trap some of the outgoing energy from the Earth
This trapping of energy leads to the greenhouse effect and global warming
What is the name of the layer surrounding the Earth that contains greenhouse gases?
The atmosphere
Why does the rising air cool as it condenses to form clouds?
As air rises, it expands and cools, causing water vapor to condense