Question
Explain the distribution of rain on earth.

Answer

  • It is estimated that about $22\%$ of the rain that falls on the earth during the year falls on the continents and $18\%$ in the oceans.
  • The highest rainfall on Earth is in the latitudes of $10$ degrees to $20$ degrees in both hemispheres.
  • It receives about $150$ to $300 \ cm$ of rainfall during the year.
  • The Polar Regions and the regions between the latitudes between $25$ degrees and $35$ degrees in both hemispheres have permanent bands of heavy air pressure, so these regions receive very little rainfall.
  • In the Polar Regions, evaporation does not occur, so the humidity in the air is negligible.
  • It rains here in the form of snow.
  • The average rainfall in the equatorial high pressure belt is $80$ to $90 \ cm.$
  • The deserts of this region receive less than $10 \ cm$ of rainfall.
  • In the regions between $40$ degrees to $60$ degrees latitude in both hemispheres of the earth
  • There is more rainfall than the regions on the equatorial high pressure belt.
  • In India, monsoon winds bring good rainfall to both the east and west coasts.
  • The humid periodic winds from the Bay of Bengal give the world's highest rainfall in the mountainous regions of northeastern India.
  • Cherrapunji in the Khasi hills in Meghalaya receives the world's highest rainfall of $1,250 \ cm.$
  • Twelve months of tropical rain falls in areas up to $5$ degrees latitude in both hemispheres around the equatorial regions.
  • In the temperate zone, westerly winds in the western coastal regions of the continents give twelve months of rainfall.
  • Periodic winds cause rain in summer but some areas also get rain in winter.

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