Geography Short Answer discussion: Explain the global distribution of precipitat

Question

Geography Short Answer discussion: Explain the global distribution of precipitation. Be sure to include the following:

a.Identify the factors that influence the global distribution of precipitation.

b.Describe one region that has high annual precipitation and explain why.

c.Describe one region that has low annual precipitation and explain why

d.Identify one factor that causes precipitation patterns to differ by season.

e.Once these items are outlined, locate the climograph of San Francisco, California and explain how it fits into the global distribution of precipitation.

Explanation / Answer

a. Factors that influence the global distribution-

- Topography

When moving encounters a hill or mountain, it is forced to rise. Because rising air cools and condenses, precipitation is heaviest on the upwind side of a mountain, where the air is rising. This process is known as orographic lifting. On the downwind side, air descends, warms, and becomes drier. * In some parts of the world (such as the tropics), winds are steady throughout the year, and if these steady, moist winds encounter a mountain range, precipitation will occur frequently.

- Presence of ocean or lakes

According to the water cycle concept, water originates in the ocean, evaporates, rises into the air, condenses, falls as precipitation, and returns to the ocean. * This concept is generally true. However, the temperature of the water exerts a strong influence on how well the cycle operates.

The warmer the surface of the ocean (or a large lake), the faster it evaporates, all other things being equal. Warm ocean waters evaporate tremendous amounts of water into the atmosphere, causing the dew point to be very high. (Dew point represents the actual amount of water vapor in the air.) Near warm waterbodies, the air usually has enough moisture to produce abundant precipitation—all it takes is for the air to rise, either by heating, or by encountering a mountain or other elevated terrain. On the other hand, cold ocean currents are relatively passive when it comes to evaporating water, so the dew points in such areas are lower (and the precipitation potential is lower) than near warm water.

- Cloud Seeding

Cloud seeding is one form of humaninduced weather modification, which also includes hail suppression and fog dispersal. All of these are attempts to change weather conditions at certain locales. The purpose of cloud seeding is mostly to augment precipitation (rain or snow) from storms.

b. Equatorial climate region has high annual precipitation

The Equatorial Climate is characterised by hot average temperature all year round and high monthly precipitation, typically no less than 60 mm a month with annual precipitation tending to be over 2000mm. The diurnal temperature range is greater than the annual temperature range. The reason for this regular climate is due to a feedback between low pressure convectional processes that result from the high altitude of the sun (ITCZ) and the high levels of soil moisture and interception of rainfall from the dense vegetation cover leading to transpiration. This feedback leads to a repetitive climate pattern of hot humid air, dry but misty mornings and late afternoon downpours and convectional storms.

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