Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain . As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically , which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and create clouds and, under the right conditions, precipitation .
5-676: The Moazagotl is an orographic lenticular cloud formed by the Foehn wind on the northern (lee) side of the Giant Mountains in Silesia ( Poland , the Czech Republic , and Germany ). The name is thought to be derived from the name of a shepherd, Gottlieb Matz, who was known for describing them. The Schneider Moazagotl sailplane is named for this type of cloud. The name has sometimes been misspelled Moazagoatl, but its spelling does not include
10-416: A third 'a;' the term refers to the cloud, rather than the wind that forms it. This cloud –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Orographic lift#Associated clouds Orographic lifting can have a number of effects, including precipitation, rain shadowing, leeward winds, and associated clouds. Precipitation induced by orographic lift occurs in many places throughout
15-497: Is observed include: Downslope winds occur on the leeward side of mountain barriers when a stable air mass is carried over the mountain by strong winds that increase in strength with height. Moisture is removed and latent heat released as the air mass is orographically lifted. As the air mass descends, it is compression heated. The warm foehn wind , locally known as the Chinook wind , Bergwind or Diablo wind or Nor'wester depending on
20-709: The region, provide examples of this type of wind, and are driven in part by latent heat released by orographic-lifting-induced precipitation. A similar class of winds, the Sirocco , the Bora and Santa Ana winds , are examples where orographic lifting has limited effect since there is limited moisture to remove in the Saharan or other air masses; the Sirocco, Bora and Santa Ana are driven primarily by ( adiabatic ) compression heating. As air flows over mountain barriers, orographic lift can create
25-530: The world . Examples include: The highest precipitation amounts are found slightly upwind from the prevailing winds at the crests of mountain ranges, where they relieve and therefore the upward lifting is greatest. As the air descends the lee side of the mountain, it warms and dries, creating a rain shadow. On the lee side of the mountains, sometimes as little as 15 miles (25 km) away from high precipitation zones, annual precipitation can be as low as 8 inches (200 mm) per year. Areas where this effect
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