Question

Which of the following are the actual differences between the three types of rainfall based on origin?

• A. Condensation step
• B. Triggering of the condensation step
• C. Amount of rainfall that occurs
• D. Regions in which different types of rainfall occurs

Answer 1

Answer: (B), (D)

Regions in which different types of rainfall occurs

The common step amongst all three types of rainfall is the condensation step. What is different is how that condensation process gets triggered.

• In convectional rainfall, condensation occurs when warm air rises to a certain height and gets cooled down.
• Orographic rain occurs because air ascends the slope of a mountain which reduces its temperature leading to condensation.
• Cyclonic rainfall occurs because warm air mass moves above the cold air mass.

Apart from these differences, they also differ in the regions in which they take place, or rather the areas that can trigger such rainfall pattern.