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Topography (Factors affecting Climate)
TOPOGRAPHY
The Topography of an area can greatly influence our climate. Mountain ranges are natural barriers to air movement. In California, winds off the Pacific ocean carry moisture-laden air toward the coast. The Coastal Range allows for some condensation and light precipitation. Inland, the taller Sierra Nevada range rings more significant precipitation in the air. On the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, sinking air warms from compression, clouds evaporate, and dry conditions prevail.
The effects of topography on the climate of any given region are powerful. Mountain ranges create barriers that alter wind and precipitation patterns. Topographical features such as narrow canyons channel and amplify winds. Mountains and plateaus are exposed to the cooler temperatures of higher altitudes. The orientation of mountains to the sun creates distinct microclimates in areas such as the Alps, where entire villages remain in the shade for most of the winter season.
Land at higher elevations, such as mountains or plateaus, are naturally cooler due to a phenomenon known as the environmental lapse rate. First observed by the explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, air cools at 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. This is the equivalent of traveling hundreds of miles north, and creates a complex Highland climate with great diversity. In America’s Southwest, deserts lie at the base of mountains that are topped with great Ponderosa pine forests because of the effects of elevation.