Question

What would happen to types of rainfall if the earth's surface becomes all plain ?

• A. No cyclonic rainfall
• B. No orographic rainfall
• C. No convectional rainfall
• D. No frontal rainfall

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

No orographic rainfall

• Orographic rainfall occurs due to mountainous barriers.
• The chief characteristic of orographic rainfall is that the windward slopes receive greater rainfall. After giving rain on the windward side, when these winds reach the other slope, they descend, and their temperature rises. Then their capacity to take in moisture increases and hence, these leeward slopes remain rainless and dry. The area situated on the leeward side, which gets less rainfall is known as the rain-shadow area (Some arid and semi-arid regions are a direct consequence of rain-shadow effect. Example: Patagonian desert in Argentina, Eastern slopes of Western Ghats). It is also known as the relief rain.
• Example: Mahabaleshwar, situated on the Western Ghats, receives more than 600 cm of rainfall, whereas Pune, lying in the rain shadow area, has only about 70 cm.
• If the earth's surface becomes all plain there would be no orographic rainfall.