Pakshal SecretryAIR 8 · CSE 2025 · 171 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening
A → Any mountain has two slope, the one is rain facing - that receives more rain, other is rain shadow - that receive less or no rainfall.
Body
Concept
As the cloud ascend the mountain slope
leeward side does not recieve rainfall due to orography
The Windward side receives orographic rainfall due to direct hitting of water laden wind & cloud.
[Diagram showing a mountain with clouds on the left slope causing rain, and a dry right slope labeled 'No Rain', with the label 'Rain shadow effect' underneath.]
Impact of Rain shadow effect
(A) On precipitation
- The windward side recieve more rainfall
- Eg western part of western ghats
- The leeward side is often barren and drought prone
- Eg Marathwada Region
- Many times the rain shadow side turns into dessert
- Eg Nubra Desert (Ladakh)
[Diagram showing a profile view of the Western Ghats with wind arrows pointing to the windward side, labeled 'W. Ghats', and the leeward side labeled 'Rain shadow', with 'India' indicated.]
(B) On Vegetation
- On the windward side presence of dense and equitorial type of vegetation
- Eg Rainforest of western ghat
- The rain shadow side has less dense and thorny vegetation
- Eg - Cactus in Nubra Desert
[Diagram map of India showing rain arrows hitting the Western Ghats, the leeward side labeled 'Rain shadow', and a north-eastern region labeled 'Desert due to Rain shadow' with 'Himalaya' also labeled nearby.]
Close
Thus, rain shadow effect is key to know vegetation, physiography, agriculture and climate of the region.