Admin Table of Contents
- 1 Why does South America get so much rain?
- 2 Why does it rain a lot in some places and not much in other places?
- 3 What causes the convectional rainfall that much of Latin America experiences?
- 4 What are the causes of heavy rainfall?
- 5 Is South America’s drought getting worse?
- 6 How does the South Pacific anticyclone affect the climate?
Why does South America get so much rain?
The ITCZ is responsible for the seasonal character of precipitation in South America’s extensive tropical wet-dry climatic zone. The trade winds of both hemispheres converge between the subtropical anticyclones of the Northern and Southern hemispheres in that low-pressure region.
Why does it rain a lot in some places and not much in other places?
If you are wondering why some places get more rain than others, it has to do with the local climate. When they get too large for the updraft to hold, they fall down as rain. Therefore, places where air rises more frequently get more rain, and it rains more heavily when the updraft is stronger.
What causes the convectional rainfall that much of Latin America experiences?
Convectional rainfall occurs when the energy of the sun heats the surface of the Earth, causing water to evaporate to form water vapour. When the land heats up, it warms the air above it. As the air rises, it cools and condenses. This process of condensation forms clouds high in the atmosphere.
What phenomenon brings heavy torrential rains on affected areas?
The summer monsoon brings a humid climate and torrential rainfall to these areas.
What is happening to the weather in South America?
In South America, the extreme rains experienced in the past months were supplanted by drought episodes in several countries during August. Moreover, winter rains have helped to alleviate drought conditions in the northern areas of South America.
What are the causes of heavy rainfall?
There are a few causes of heavy rainfall. Firstly, as rain is caused by the condensation of water vapour into clouds, heavy rainfall is caused by a large amount of clouds. These clouds produce rather large water droplets, and are sometimes supported by thunderstorm updrafts (warm air).
Is South America’s drought getting worse?
Forecasters report that dryness will not only lead to the risk of severe drought in other areas of South America, but also a greater threat of forest fires. Drier than normal conditions in eastern and central Brazil during the month of August are likely to lead to worsening drought conditions in the spring.
How does the South Pacific anticyclone affect the climate?
The eastern part of the South Pacific anticyclone influences the climate of most of South America’s west coast, causing stable, subsiding air conditions that yield minimal precipitation.