Rainfall

Question 1

What are the 3 different causes/triggers that make the rain process happen?

Answer 1

Height and shape of land - relief
Sun - convectional
Air masses - frontal

Question 2

Explain the process of relief rain?

Answer 2

1. Warm moist air blows in from sea
2. Air forced to rise over height of land
3. Air cools and water vapour condenses
4. Clouds form, precipitation falls usually as rain
5. Air is drier and descends and warms beyond the rising land.
   6 this creates a rain shadow of warm dry air.

Question 3

Explain the process of frontal rain?

Answer 3

1. A warm air mass meets a cold air mass.
2. The warmer air rises because it is less heavy.
3. The water vapour in it condenses and water droplets form clouds.
4. When the clouds are too heavy the droplets fall as precipitation.

Question 4

Explain the process of conventional rain?

Answer 4

1. The sun heats the earth
2. The earth heats the air above it.
3. The warm air rises because it is less dense.
4. The water vapour condenses into water droplets.
5. A collection of minute water droplets gather together as a cloud.
6. When the clouds become heavy the droplets fall as precipitation.