| Rain Shadow |
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A rain shadow (or more accurately, '''precipitation shadow''') is a dry region on the surface of the Earth that is Leeward or behind a Mountain with respect to the prevailing Wind direction. A rain shadow area is dry because, as moist air masses rise to top a Mountain Range or large mountain, the air cools and Water Vapor condenses as Rain or Snow , falling on the Windward side or top of the mountain. This process is called Orographic Precipitation . The effect of the process is the creation, on the leeward side, of an area of descending dry and warming air, and a region that is quite Arid . Good examples are in the Desert s of the Basin And Range Province in the United States and Mexico , which includes the dry areas east of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington and the Great Basin , which covers almost all of Nevada and parts of Utah ; and Chile 's Atacama , the most arid place in the world. The aptly-named Death Valley in the US is another good example; it is behind both the Pacific Coast Ranges of California and the Sierra Nevada range, and is one of the driest places on the Planet . Hawaii also has rain shadows, with some areas of the islands being desert, much to the surprise of many Tourist s. The highest mountain peaks in the world, the Himalaya , contribute to arid conditions in Central Asia . External links and references |